Latest news with #Berlanga
The 42
4 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
Andy Lee's burgeoning career as a trainer looks set to make him one of boxing's main characters
KATIE TAYLOR'S THIRD success over Amanda Serrano at Madison Square Garden accounted for most of the boxing coverage in Ireland last weekend but Off-Broadway in this country's news cycle, Taylor's fellow Irish boxing great furthered his own case for being the best in the world. About 18 kilometres off Broadway, to be more precise. A night after Taylor's triumph, at the Louis Armstrong tennis stadium in Flushing, Queens, Andy Lee added the latest feather to his cap as a trainer, steering Englishman Hamzah Sheeraz to a victory that caught the eye of the boxing world. The 26-year-old Sheeraz appeared to have been on an inexorable ascent at middleweight as recently as February, reeling off 21 straight wins with 17 of them quick, but a highly fortunate draw with world champion Carlos Adames on the Artur Beterbiev-Dimitry Bivol rematch card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, had made him look distinctly human, bearing some Sheeraz's inefficiencies for the first time on the biggest stage. Sheeraz split with his Los Angeles-based trainer, Ricky Funez, and turned instead to Dublin, where former middleweight champ Andy Lee supervised his jump to super-middleweight and lit the rocket under him once more. Last Saturday in Queens, in his first fight as a 168-pounder, Sheeraz stopped inside five rounds Edgar Berlanga (previously 23-1, 18KOs), the explosive Puerto Rican who had taken Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez the distance only a couple of fights prior. The result on paper would have been enough to catch the eye of any boxing fan who missed the fight, but the finish was a real head-turner. Sheeraz, his nose bloodied in the early exchanges, rediscovered the nasty gear that had been missing against Adames. He dropped Berlanga twice, hard, in the fourth, only for 'The Chosen One' to be saved by the bell. But Sheeraz closed the show almost instantaneously at the start of the fifth, his first three punches of the round dropping Berlanga again and forcing the intervention of referee David Fields. Coach Lee never actively chased the spotlight during his career as a fighter — although more of it would have been nice — but having already proven a highly popular pundit on either side of the Atlantic, the Limerick man looks destined to become one of boxing's main characters as a trainer. Berlanga appeared to acknowledge this on some level at the launch press conference in May, warning Sheeraz across the top table: 'I'mma fuck you up and Andy Lee on the same night, you heard?' 'It's crazy,' Lee told his British middleweight contemporary Darren Barker during a sit-down interview the following day. 'It's funny. I like the attention. Advertisement 'What's he targeting me for?' Lee laughed. 'But I like it. And I like him (Berlanga). I think he's good for the game. We need characters like this.' Barker replied: 'Of all the people to target!' And true enough, virtually none of Lee's 38 opponents ever spoke to him the way Berlanga did before the Sheeraz fight, but then Lee himself was never quite so forthright in assessing rivals' frailties as he is in his role as a coach. Berlanga had also nearly fallen foul of the Irishman's coaching expertise previously, having endured a far tougher night than most expected against the Lee-trained Jason Quigley a couple of years prior. Simply put, the role of a coach is to make an athlete better. Lee brought the maximum out of middleweight world-title challenger Quigley and he has unlocked new gears in all of his charges, most notably Samoan-Kiwi Joseph Parker whom he has guided back from relative obscurity to the top of the queue to challenge undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. He has also recently reignited the career of British Olympic star Ben Whittaker, who turned to Lee after he hit the skids against Liam Cameron last October. Under Lee's tutelage, Whittaker took an immediate rematch against Cameron and blasted the Sheffield man out of there in the second round, once more looking like the star that British boxing hoped he would become. And while he previously contributed to Tyson Fury's world-title successes over Deontay Wilder — indeed, it may be no coincidence that Fury's best ever performance, in his second bout with the American, came off the back of a full camp with Lee as his co-trainer alongside SugarHill Steward — the Limerick man will get the chance to fledge his first world champion as a solo trainer this autumn. Following his mostly picturesque performance and contentious disqualification defeat for a punch after the bell in March, Paddy Donovan's rematch with Lewis Crocker looks set to take place at Windsor Park in September. Theirs will be the first all-Irish world-title fight in boxing history. Andy Lee and Paddy Donovan. Gary Carr / INPHO Gary Carr / INPHO / INPHO It was 'The Real Deal' Donovan who first lured his fellow Limerick man Lee back into the gym in 2019 and they will greatly fancy their chances of beating 'The Croc' for the vacant IBF welterweight strap, with Donovan having already ostensibly beaten up the Belfast man in his hometown. While far from a foregone conclusion, a world-title success for Donovan would position Lee as the frontrunner for Trainer of the Year, a global award for which he was already nominated by Ring Magazine at the end of a stellar 2024. The generational talents of Oleksandr Usyk could scupper that notion if the Ukrainian faces Lee's heavyweight, Joe Parker, before the end of the year, although Usyk may wait until early 2026 before returning to the ring following his sensational stoppage of Daniel Dubois on Saturday night. But Lee's 2025, and his coaching career to this point, are worthy of recognition in any case: there are few Irish coaches in any sport thriving to the same extent at an elite international level. A former student of the great Emanuel Steward and Adam Booth, Lee is well on his way to becoming one of boxing's most celebrated teachers.
Express Tribune
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Stevenson retains WBC lightweight title
Unbeaten Shakur Stevenson outlasted hard-hitting William Zepeda in a tough back-and-forth battle to retain his World Boxing Council lightweight world title. Photo AFP Unbeaten Shakur Stevenson outlasted hard-hitting William Zepeda in a tough back-and-forth battle to retain his World Boxing Council lightweight world title on a unanimous decision on Saturday. Stevenson, whose crafty defensive style hasn't always found favor with fans, withstood a relentless assault by the challenger and responded with efficient offense of his own to win comfortably on all three judges' cards. Two scored it 118-110 and a third saw it 119-109 for Stevenson, who improved to 24-0 with 11 knockouts. He handed Mexico's Zepeda his first career defeat. The 29-year-old fell to 33-1 with 27 wins inside the distance. The fight was held at the Louis Armstrong Stadium -- better known as one of the show courts at the National Tennis Center that hosts the US Open in Flushing Meadows. Stevenson, who won world titles at featherweight and super featherweight before capturing the WBC lightweight belt with a victory over Edwin De Los Santos in November 2023, was coming off a ninth-round technical knockout in February over Josh Padley -- who was a late replacement opponent. On the same card, Britain's Hamzah Sheeraz stopped Puerto Rico's Edgar Berlanga in the fifth round of a high-profile super middleweight clash. Sheeraz knocked down Berlanga twice in the fourth round, Berlanga rising to continue both times. But after Sheeraz landed a combination early in the fifth that sent Berlanga to one knee, referee David Fields called a halt. Sheeraz, fighting for the first time since a draw against WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames in February, improved to 22-0 with one drawn and 18 wins inside the distance. Berlanga fell to 23-2, suffering a second defeat in three fights. He dropped a lopsided decision to Canelo Alvarez in September before stopping Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz in March. Subriel Matias withstood a late surge by Alberto Puello to grab Puello's WBC super lightweight world title with a majority decision victory.
The Hindu
13-07-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Hamzah Sheeraz stops Berlanga, Shakur Stevenson defends lightweight title at home of US Open tennis
Hamzah Sheeraz was the star of boxing's first show at the home of the U.S. Open tennis tournament. Sheeraz punctuated the card by stopping Edgar Berlanga in the fifth round Saturday night, making a smashing debut in his first time fighting in the U.S. 'Massive, massive performance from myself,' Sheeraz said. The English fighter moved up in weight for his first fight at super middleweight and showed he has plenty of power for it, dropping Berlanga twice in the fourth round and then pouncing quickly to start the fifth before referee David Fields stopped the fight. Sheeraz (22-0-1, 18 KOs) has been touted as a potential opponent for 168-pound champion Canelo Alvarez and would not only deserve it but have a chance to win if if he looked as good as he did against Berlanga (23-2), who went the distance against Alvarez in his only previous loss. In the co-main event, Shakur Stevenson remained undefeated and defended his WBC lightweight title with a dominant performance, beating William Zepeda by unanimous decision. Berlanga had boasted that he would have an easy night. But it sure got tough in the fourth round, when Sheeraz dropped him flat on his back. Berlanga raised his arms in the air, perhaps trying to show he wasn't hurt, but Sheeraz knocked him down a second time in the corner before the bell sounded to end the round. But it didn't take long once the fifth started, as a three-punch combination knocked Berlanga off balance and one of his gloves touched the canvas as Fields waved it off. 'Today there was nothing stopping me,' Sheeraz said. Stevenson (24-0) won 119-109 on one card and 118-110 on the other two just before Berlanga and Sheeraz fought in the final bout of the night in Louis Armstrong Stadium, the No. 2 venue at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre. But it was a main event-level performance from the 2016 Olympic silver medalist and the first wide victory of the night after the previous two bouts were close right to the finish. Zepeda (33-1) landed a left hand shortly after the opening bell that drew a smile from the champion, and he was able to get inside a number of times to unload a series of shots at Stevenson. But he was often powerless to stop the flurries that were coming back at him from Stevenson's hand speed, which is up at the top of boxing. The Ring Magazine held its second fight card in New York after staging one in Times Square in May. Tickets weren't sold then, and just a few hundred people were able to see it, creating an atmosphere where the scene was impressive but the sounds were almost non-existent, leaving fighters to say it felt like a sparring session. This time, seats were sold and many were occupied well into the second deck of the 14,000-seat stadium, which had its retractable roof closed to create comfortable conditions on a humid day. 'Who would have thought of putting boxing here?' promoter Frank Warren said. 'The noise, it just seemed to be amplified. I'm sure this is going to be used on many, many occasions now for boxing besides tennis.' The fans saw good action early in a brilliant performance from Stevenson, who has been criticised at times for a style that seems too dependent on avoiding pain and not dishing it out. But he seemed happy to trade Saturday, and most times came out ahead when he did. 'At the end of the day, I told you all, whatever it takes to get the job done,' Stevenson said. 'I got dog in me. I'm not a puppy, I'm not a poodle, I'm a tough guy, so I got dog in me.' Zepeda did trap Stevenson in a corner to score with some shots in the third round, bringing his Mexican fans out of their seats, but many other times, Stevenson's quick head movement allowed him to dodge potential trouble. By the middle of the fight, Stevenson was firing off two, three, sometimes four unreturned shots There was a title change in the previous fight, when Subriel Matias (23-2) edged Alberto Puello (24-1) by majority decision to take the WBC's 140-pound belt. Before that, Cuban David Morrell (12-1) got up from a fifth-round knockdown to rally late and edge Imam Khataev (10-1) by split decision in a light heavyweight bout.
USA Today
13-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Stevenson-Zepeda, Berlanga-Sheeraz results: Fight card highlights
Hamzah Sheeraz has positioned himself for a future championship match after his performance at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York, on Saturday night. The fight between Sheeraz and Edgar Berlanga was decided in the fifth round, but it could've easily been finished in the fourth. Sheeraz knocked down Berlanga twice in the closing moments of the fourth round before the American boxer was saved by the bell. Sheeraz carried his momentum into the first 17 seconds of the fifth round with three straight strikes to put away Berlanga. As a result of the victory, Sheeraz is now the mandatory WBC Super Middleweight Championship challenger. The British boxer may have positioned himself for a future fight with Canelo Alvarez. Shakur Stevenson and William Zepeda delivered as the co-main event on the card. Stevenson's accuracy and versatility were on display for the world to see as he overcame a scrappy performance from Zepeda. Stevenson remains undefeated and retained his WBC lightweight championship. USA TODAY Sports had updates, analysis and highlights from the main card: Edgar Berlanga vs. Hamzah Sheeraz result: Round 1: Both fighters didn't wait for a 'feeling out' process before trading shots with one another. Both had moments in the opening round, but Berlanga may have landed the shots that made the biggest difference. Round 2: The second round served as more of a feeling-out process for both fighters. Sheeraz showed more variety with his punches and a strong command. Round 3: Sheeraz lands a strong uppercut in the final moments of the round before a late flurry of strikes from Berlanga. Round 4: Berlanga comes out swinging as the bell rings to start the round. Sheeraz answered back with a series of punches that knocked down Berlanga. He manages to get back up, only to get dropped by Sheeraz a second time. Berlanga got up a second time and was allowed to continue the fight. As Sheeraz walks back toward him, the bell sounds to end the round. Round 5: The bell rings to start the round and Sheeraz lands a quick combination to drop Berlanga to a knee just 17 seconds later. The fight is over. Shakur Stevenson vs. William Zepeda result: Rounds 1-4: William Zepeda has been the aggressor in the fight through the first four rounds. In both the third and fourth rounds, Zepeda has managed to force Shakur Stevenson against the ropes and cut off the ring. Round 5: Zepeda has thrown a large number of punches through the first 4.5 rounds. He's landed 93 of his 367 punches. Stevenson has landed nearly 50% of his punches (103 of 221). Round 6: Stevenson got the best of Zepeda in the round, landing some of the bigger shots in the round and staying in the middle of the ring. Round 7: Stevenson has continued to look sharp and quicker with his shots as the fight has continued. After an aggressive start, Zepeda has started to slow down. Round 8: Zepeda has slowed down but was able to land some successful shots as well in the round to stay in the fight. Despite a decent showing from Zepeda, the round may have still worked in Stevenson's favor, nullifying any of his opponent's momentum. Round 9: Stevenson's versatility and speed were on display throughout exchanges with Zepeda. It's currently Stevenson's fight to lose. Round 10: Zepeda continues to show a will to start in the fight and compete despite being slowed down by Stevenson. Both fighters traded blows early, but it was Stevenson who was still landing accurate shots. Round 11: Zepeda has continued to have moments of success, but he will need to have some power in his punches to pull out a victory as the fight enters the final round. Round 12: The crowd responds with cheers and approval as the fight comes to an end. Both Stevenson and Zepeda survive the fight and it will come down to the judges. Stevenson was efficient with his punches. Stevenson walked over to Zepeda's corner after the fight to tell him, "It's all love and respect. Thank you (for the fight)." Stevenson remains undefeated after a unanimous decision victory and retains the championship. He has won 24 straight fights (including 11 by knockout). Alberto Puello vs. Subriel Matias result: The fight has been even through the first eight rounds with Puello's WBC super lightweight title on the line. In the championship rounds, Puello lands a right-handed upper cut in the 11th round that hurts Matias but doesn't knock him down. Matias appeared exhausted down the stretch and had a visible cut over his left eye. Matias became the new champion by majority decision victory. Dalton Smith was in the ring after the fight to face off with Matias. The two men will fight for the title on Nov. 22. David Morrell vs Imam Khataev result: Imam Khataev delivered a two-punch power combination that nearly buckled the knees of David Morrell in the second round. It was the first time Morrell was knocked down in his career. Morrell managed to do some damage as well, creating a cut above Khataev's right eye in the early rounds. Morrell's team was overheard discussing the cut between the second and third rounds. Morrell was on pace to win the fifth round before Khataev landed a right-handed shot that sent the Cuban boxer back into the ropes in the final moments of the round. Morrell was fighting with a sense of urgency in the final 1:30 of the ninth round, landing several strikes to Khataev. While some thought Khataev would've earned the victory, it was Morrell who was tabbed as the winner by split decision. It's an early contender for fight of the night. Morrell entered the fight ranked in the Top 5 by the World Boxing Association. Shakur Stevenson vs. William Zepeda: Time, PPV, streaming for fight The highly anticipated bout between Shakur Stevenson vs. William Zepeda will take place on Saturday, July 12 and can be watched on DAZN. Watch Stevenson vs Zepeda with DAZN Shakur Stevenson vs. William Zepeda main card, ring walk start times Shakur Stevenson vs. William Zepeda fight card odds All odds are for moneyline bets as of Thursday, according to BetMGM. Shakur Stevenson vs. William Zepeda Predictions Staff writes: For this WBC lightweight championship match between Stevenson and Zepeda, I predict that the former will win via unanimous decision against the latter because he already has a blueprint to beat power punchers and has enormous experience in high-level championship fights. Much like he did against Edwin De Los Santos, I expect Stevenson to break down Zepeda with stiff counters and solid jabs that would allow him to score points in the judges' scorecards while frustrating him at the same time." Mark Lelinwalla writes: "Masterful at planting his lead foot into the canvas and controlling the distance, Shakur Stevenson is absolutely brilliant working behind the jab, the anchor to his supreme sweet science. On the defensive side, Stevenson is slick and elusive, relying on the hit and don't get hit brand of boxing. He has the boxing skills to negate Zepeda's forward fighting and imposing power especially if the Mexican fighter struggles to get inside of Stevenson's world-class jab, arguably the best in all of boxing." Trent Reinsmith writes: "Zepeda needs to overcome the defense of Stevenson, and that's a tall order for any fighter. Put simply, Zepeda doesn't have the style to do that. His best hope is that he can score through volume and convince the judges to give him the nod because of that. Stevenson will prove to be defensively sound, and score with enough counters to get the nod." Shakur Stevenson vs. William Zepeda fight card Shakur Stevenson vs. William Zepeda price Shakur Stevenson will face William Zepeda, which includes the co-main event of Berlaga vs. Sheeraz, will be streamed on DAZN Pay-Per-View. In the U.S., fans can purchase the event for $59.99. Shakur Stevenson vs. William Zepeda: Tale of the tape
Scottish Sun
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Hamzah Sheeraz smashes Edgar Berlanga with INCREDIBLE KO win to set up potential Canelo Alvarez showdown
Brit addressed the Mexican great on the mic SHEER CLASS Hamzah Sheeraz smashes Edgar Berlanga with INCREDIBLE KO win to set up potential Canelo Alvarez showdown Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HAMZAH SHEERAZ silenced American mouthpiece Edgar Berlanga with a fifth-round stoppage on his Stateside debut. Sheeraz came into the bout of the back of a controversial draw against WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames in February. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Hamzah Sheeraz knocked out Edgar Berlanga 2 Berlanga hit the deck three times And welcoming him up to super-middleweight Berlanga - once a man who scored 16 straight first-round knockouts. But more recently, he was dominated over 12 rounds by Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez. Sheeraz went one further by stopping Sheeraz one round after his two knockdowns in the fourth. He is now mandatory for the WBO 168lb title and said: 'Canelo is a boxing hero of mine. "For my name to be mentioned in the same sentence is a great achievement. 'If it does happen I'll stand in the middle and have it out with him. 'Massive thank you to Andy Lee. 'Them first few rounds I was losing but we had a plan. I told him to trust me and he did, so thank you. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS 'I swear to you, whoever was in the ring with me today there was no stopping me.' Sheeraz, 26, first floored Berlanga, 28, with a left hook after a combination of punches. The American - with Puerto Rican heritage - made it to his feet but was dropped once more this time a right hand doing the damage. Brave Berlanga made it out of the round but after a right hand dropped him again the referee waved off the bout. Sheeraz moves to 22 wins and one draw and must await the next move of Canelo - who faces Terence Crawford on September 13.
