Hamzah Sheeraz will make his return to the ring on the Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois undercard on 26 August.
The rising middleweight star has not fought since November 2022 after easing past River Wilson-Bent in two rounds. A hand injury which required surgery delayed his plans this year having been sidelined for three months.
Sheeraz, based out in Los Angeles training under Ricky Funez, will now seek to go 18-0 against Dmytro Mytrofanov, another Ukrainian fighting in neighbouring Poland on that world heavyweight title bill.
‘It is time to get cracking, time to get on that world scene and show people what I am really about,’ Sheeraz told Metro.co.uk.
‘I think people have been getting used to me fighting, domestic, British names. Now it is time to get out there and step it up. There were loads of names out there but sometimes you have to go against the grain and this is one of them.’
Mytrofanov, 33, is a decorated amateur, undefeated as a professional having won 13 of his 14 bouts.
Like IBF, WBO and WBA heavyweight champion Usyk, he will be fighting in front of a passionate Ukrainian crowd with millions fleeing their homeland to its western neighbour following the Russian invasion of their country in February 2022.
‘We’re going into his home territory, he is of course going to have a bigger fan base out there,’ Sheeraz said.
‘But to be great in this sport you have to do things like this. I am confident, I have been working hard and the time is now and by early next year I want to be a world champion and these are the sort of steps I need to take.’
Sheeraz has designs on winning a world title before his 25th birthday in May next year but is also on collision course with Queensberry stable mate Denzel Bentley. The British Boxing Board of Control confirmed on Thursday an agreement has been reached for the two to meet for Bentley’s British title.
Bentley has already had his first crack at world title gold, with the Battersea bruiser falling short in a valiant effort against WBO champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly last year. While Sheeraz believes that all-British showdown deserves to have a world title on the line, their fight could yet happen before the end of the year.
‘The talks have been there for about a year now,’ he said. ‘He has said I wasn’t on his level, he fought for the title and came up short. He is under the illusion that challenging for a world title means you are world level. But you are not world level, really and truly, until you have won that title.
‘Us being ordered [to fight] by the Board, I feel that fight is much bigger than the British title so hopefully if we do fight, it will be with one of us as world champion. But let’s see how it plans out. That is the fight the public wants.’
Sheeraz admits the middleweight division has lost some of its lustre in recent years and with the likes of Ryota Murata retiring with the legendary Gennady Golovkin approaching the end of his career, there is a host of new stars ready to fill the void.
‘Winning the world title next year, God-willing that is the plan,’ Sheeraz said. ‘If we manage to get a shot at any of the belts, we will go for it. I’m 24 now, I have always planned to win a world title before 25. if I can do that I’ll be a happy man.
‘This division is one that you have to let grow, it is time for a new crop of fighters who are touching fringe world level. The best will fight the best and we will get the next Golovkin or Canelo of the 160lbs division and I am hoping that will be me.
‘The division is there for the taking. I need to get August out of the way but I believe I will be the man to take over the division.’
MORE : Oleksandr Usyk to defend heavyweight titles against Daniel Dubois in Poland on 26 August
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