“I am open to a rematch, if he wants a rematch at 160 or 168, I will always be ready to give him that opportunity because he knows, and his team knows that after all I beat him.
Adames (25-1-1, 18 KOs) has held that title since the February 2025 fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where many fans felt he did enough to win even though the contest ended in a 12-round draw. The result immediately caused controversy, but the two fighters never returned to settle it in the ring.
Instead of going straight into a second fight with Adames, Sheeraz moved on to headline the New York card in July 2025 against Edgar Berlanga. Now he seems set for another big opportunity, by fighting for the vacant WBO super middleweight title against Alem Begic on May 23 in Egypt as part of the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven.
Adames, on the other hand, sounds like someone who is still looking for an opportunity to remove all doubt. He is willing to shoot Sheeraz, but also makes it known that, in his opinion, the first meeting was over.
For a fighter whose most difficult career ended when many thought he was lost, Sheeraz's climb has been remarkably smooth.
When Sheeraz was stopped last July against Edgar Berlanga, many saw it as a match designed to make him look like a world beater against a guy who has been living off the momentum of his first KO for years.
Sheeraz now jumps into a fight for the vacant WBO title against Alem Begic. He doesn't beat Begic's undefeated record, he is 38 years old and unknown to the entire boxing world. It is a textbook definition of matching the chance to hold the belt in the second division.
Putting him on the Usyk-Verhoeven card on May 23 gives him international exposure, and reinforces the story that he's a superstar before he pulls off his toughest fight yet.
Meanwhile, Adames continues to be the most shunned man in and around the middleweight division. He did his part by returning to the ring in March 2026 and putting on a clinical performance against Austin “Ammo” Williams in Orlando. He's shown he's still the top dog at 160, but he's the one who should be asking for the big name fights.
If Sheeraz takes the WBO title at 168 on May 23, he won't be looking back. He'll have a belt, a new weight class, and promotional backing to keep going for big paydays like a potential Canelo clash.
Adames was left in a difficult position. He is a high risk, low reward adversary against golden boys like Sheeraz. He's forced to watch fighters with thinner resumes leapfrog him for titles and high-paying undercards.
The excuse of being injured in their war in 2025 has been successfully used as a shield to avoid the current succession. It's a boxing story of a protected talent versus a dangerous champion.
Adames has every right to speak up, but in an era where headlines are often focused on consolidating strategies rather than eliminating divisions, getting back in the ring with Sheeraz seems like a pipe dream.
