The Chosen Ones? Fans Question The Logic Behind Berlanga – Sheeraz Headlining New York Show

People on X are up in arms about Turki Alalshikh choosing Edgar Berlanga vs. Hamzah Sheeraz as the headliner for his July 12th event on July 12th in New York. Fans view this fight as unworthy of such a card that is loaded with fighters with much more talent than either of these guys.

Interestingly, Mike Coppinger didn’t reveal in the announcement of this loaded card who the main event will be. However, it’s now been learned that Berlanga-Sheeraz is the headliner for the card.

“Berlanga-Sheeraz, per Turki Alalshikh,” said Dan Rafael on X when asked who is the headliner on the July 12th card in New York.

July 12th card

• Edgar Berlanga vs. Hamzah Sheeraz – Main event
• Shakur Stevenson vs. William Zepeda – Co-feature
• Alberto Puello vs. Subriel Matias – Puello’s WBC light welterweight title at stake
• David Morrell vs. Imam Khataev – Light heavyweight contenders

Fans feel that Turki is giving Hamzah (21-0-1, 17 KOs) the prestigious position because he likes him. It’s likely a more strategic move, as including Sheeraz in the headliner position increases interest from UK fans in purchasing the event on DAZN PPV. If Sheeraz was buried on the undercard fighting Berlanga, there wouldn’t be as much interest from British fans.

Market Forces

Placing the New Yorker Berlanga (23-1, 18 KOs) in the main event is also a clever move by Turki because he’ll bring in his Brooklyn fans to watch it or order it on PPV. Edgar obviously has limited talent and looked embarrassingly bad in his loss to Canelo Alvarez last September, but he’s popular in New York City.

Berlanga also has the villain thing going well, and he’s not even trying. With the way he brags about himself, he seems detached from reality, unable to grasp how mediocre he is. When Edgar talks about himself in grandiose terms, he sounds like a person suffering from megalomania and not having his feet firmly on the ground. After Berlanga suffers a couple of losses, he’ll come down to earth.