Hamzah Sheeraz Exposes Edgar Berlanga’s “Tough Guy” Façade Ahead Of July 12 DAZN PPV Showdown

Hamzah Sheeraz says he recognized Edgar Berlanga’s true nature during their face-to-face, and it’s nothing like the fake tough guy front he’s putting up ahead of their main event fight on July 12th on DAZN PPV.

Fear of KO: “Big Bag” Gone

Sheeraz views Berlanga’s trash talk as a way to boost his shaky self-confidence, as he’s afraid of what will happen on July 12th. Losing to Hamzah (21-0-1, 17 KOs) by a knockout would hurt Berlanga’s marketability and mess up his chances of getting “That big bag,” as he says.

Canelo Shot at Stake

Hamzah (23-1, 18 KOs) vs. Berlanga will meet in a 12-round super middleweight contest at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York. The winner of the fight has a chance to fight Canelo Alvarez in early 2026 for the undisputed super middleweight championship.

There would be a lot of money for the winner of the Berlanga-Sheeraz fight to scoop up. Given Berlanga’s money-driven focus on his fights, it would be ideal for him to get a rematch with Canelo. He made a fortune fighting Alvarez last September with a reported purse of $10 million.

“F*** you. I’m going to war. It’s war time. I’m keeping that same energy. I’ve always had that same energy. It’s war time,” said Edgar Berlanga to Ring Magazine on X, talking to Hamzah Sheeraz. “All that long s*** that you’re doing with [trainer] Andy Lee. You’re not running. I’m telling you. You’re not running, p****y.”

Sheeraz may use movement in the early rounds to avoid exchanges with Berlanga when he’s at his strongest. In the second half, Sheeraz will likely go for the kill, using his power game to hurt Berlanga and possibly stop him. He played it safe after being dropped by Canelo early in their fight, and showed no heart to put himself on the firing line until the 12th. By then, the fight was lost.

“That European s*** that you’re doing. All that s*** is going out the window. Sit on your punches. I want to feel that. I want to feel your shots, too, and you’re going to feel my shots, too. I’m going to war. It’s war time,” said Berlanga.

As you can see here, Berlanga is trying to get into Sheeraz’s head to intimidate him to create self-doubt so that he won’t fight hard on July 12th. He’ll give in right away and let him dominate their fight. It’s a primitive standard tactic that fighters use to gain an edge.

Sheeraz Sees Through Threats

“Edgar is doing what he does. I think he tries to convince himself, but it’ll be good. It’ll be fun,” said Hamzah Sheeraz, doing a psychological analysis of Berlanga. “He knows what i’m about when we had the face-to-face. He knows. So, some things are better left unsaid, but yeah. I’m going to punch him in the face. That’s all that matters.”

Sheeraz views Berlanga’s expletive-laden rant as entertainment, a theatrical performance to create interest in their fight. He does not threaten him because he’s already caught a glimpse of Edgar’s true nature during their face-to-face, and he knows what he’s like.