Overview

• On July 4, Hamzah Sheeraz walked through Times Square asking New Yorkers if they knew “The King of New York” and drew blank responses.
• In a July 5 DAZN interview, Edgar Berlanga invoked Canelo Alvarez to highlight that a Sheeraz victory would secure a future bout with the Mexican star.
• At a July 6 press event, Berlanga put up a $100,000 wager on his own win and Sheeraz accepted the high-stakes challenge.
• The July 12 clash at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens serves as a WBC super middleweight title eliminator headlining The Ring III card.
• Both fighters view the matchup as a defining career moment, with the winner projected to climb the WBC rankings and secure headline opportunities.