Controversy Erupts as Berlanga-Sheeraz Main Event Overshadows Stevenson-Zepeda Title Bout in New York

So, here’s the thing. People are having a field day on social media about this upcoming boxing extravaganza on July 12th in New York City. I mean, they are absolutely lighting up the digital landscape with their opinions. It seems like everyone would rather see Shakur Stevenson and William Zepeda take center stage. Honestly, I kind of get it — these guys have actual skills, not just hype surrounding their names.

But yeah, instead, we’ve got Edgar Berlanga and Hamzah Sheeraz as the headliners. People are chirping about them being ‘hype jobs,’ which sounds about right. They’re kind of like the boxing version of Milli Vanilli — remember those guys? Always mouthing the lyrics but never actually singing. It’s all engineered to bring in the bucks, not necessarily for the love of the fight.

Let’s talk about the big NYC line-up scheduled, shall we?

– Edgar Berlanga vs. Hamzah Sheeraz
– Shakur Stevenson vs. William Zepeda
– Alberto Puello vs. Subriel Matias
– David Morrell vs. Imam Khataev

Oh, fun fact, Berlanga got schooled by Canelo Alvarez just last year. It was one of those unanimous decision situations; kind of like watching a cat play with a mouse. And then Berlanga went on to knock out this dude, Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz — or as I like to call him, The Fury Twin — in the first round. Real nail-biter there, right? Spoiler: it wasn’t.

Sheeraz, on the other hand, hasn’t even danced at 168 pounds yet. And his last tango with WBC 160-lb champ Carlos Adames ended in a draw. Really? I saw it and I’d swear on my snack stash that Adames won that thing 11-1. It’s like the judges had their eyes on something else in Riyadh. Must’ve been some shiny floors.

Now let’s focus on Shakur vs. Zepeda. THIS is the fight that could actually stop people from flipping through Netflix. Lightweight title clash, hello! More people would tune in for this than any of the other bouts on the card, except maybe the grandma crowd for Berlanga-Sheeraz. Real talk: who cares about the Morrell-Khataev or Puello-Matias matchups unless you’re deep into the boxing scene?

Rumor has it — and by rumor, I mean it’s just out there like a lost balloon — Berlanga-Sheeraz might headline because it’s a WBC super middleweight title eliminator. Woohoo, right? Whoever wins gets a slice at the Canelo pie in 2026, a dish best served with fighters who are crowd-friendly and easily chewed. Sheeraz and Berlanga certainly fit the bill, unlike guys like Osleys Iglesias or David Benavidez who could actually give Canelo a run for his money. But Canelo’s no spring chicken, you know? He’s at that age where beard dyes become a priority.

Anyway, let’s see how it all plays out. July 12th could be an epic day for boxing or just another circus act. Who knows?