Berlanga vs Sheeraz Fight Results: Sheeraz Destroys Berlanga (Video)

The defeat was Berlanga’s second as a professional. In his super middleweight debut, Sheeraz delivered a statement-making performance, accomplishing what even Canelo Álvarez could not: he destroyed Berlanga, and in doing so, announced himself as a formidable new force at the weight class under the tutelage of renowned trainer and former world champion Andy Lee.

 Prior to Saturday night, Berlanga’s sole defeat came via a twelve-round unanimous decision to Álvarez on September 14 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas—a bout in which Berlanga rebounded from an early knockdown to go the distance. However, Sheeraz ensured the outcome would never be left in the hands of the judges. He fought for the first time after a hard-fought—and controversial—title bout against WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames in February.

Though the Dominican Adames (24-1-1, 18 KOs) appeared to outwork Sheeraz, their encounter at the ANB Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, concluded in a disputed 12-round split draw. In the aftermath, Sheeraz made decisive adjustments—parting ways with trainer Ricky Fuentes in favor of Lee and moving up in weight. Those changes have already borne fruit, as evidenced by his emphatic performance on Saturday night.

Neither fighter showed any interest in a feeling-out process. Berlanga lunged forward with intent, landing a sweeping left hook that set an early tone. Sheeraz responded in kind, attempting a swift left-right combination that narrowly missed its mark. Nevertheless, he managed to sneak in a well-placed left hook of his own, subtly reminding Berlanga that he, too, had come to engage with conviction.

 As the second round neared its final minute, Sheeraz showcased his timing by countering Berlanga’s advance with a pair of crisp jabs, disrupting the Puerto Rican’s rhythm. Berlanga responded with a multi-punch combination, but Sheeraz absorbed the assault with composure, catching the flurry cleanly behind a disciplined, high guard.

In the third round, Berlanga (23-2, 18 KOs), 28, struggled to find answers for Sheeraz’s rangy, authoritative jab. Sheeraz (22-0-1, 18 KOs), of Pakistani descent, wielded the punch with precision, using it as both a measuring stick and a deterrent to keep Berlanga at a safe distance. As the round progressed, the 26-year-old supplemented his jab with a well-timed right hand that pushed Berlanga further onto the defensive. Then, he delivered a left uppercut that snapped Berlanga’s head back. Just over a minute into the fourth round, Berlanga landed a heavy right hand, briefly shifting the momentum in his favor.

However, Sheeraz responded with a composed and fluid combination that knocked Berlanga back on his heels. The two men squared off at the center of the ring, foreheads pressed together, exchanging punishing blows in a gritty, close-range battle, with Berlanga targeting the body in an effort to slow his man down.

But it was Sheeraz who produced the pivotal moment, uncorking a devastating left hook upstairs that sent Berlanga teetering into a dazed, almost surreal state—his senses scattered as he crashed to the canvas against the ropes. Sheeraz knocked him down for a second time in the closing stages of the round. He appeared poised to deliver the finishing touch, only to be halted by referee David Fields, who stepped in and ordered him to move back just before the bell sounded. A brief reprieve for Berlanga—rescued, if only temporarily, by the official’s intervention.

Sheeraz wasted no time in the subsequent round, dispatching a battered and visibly diminished Berlanga with ruthless efficiency. With a single, perfectly placed left hand to open the frame, he sealed the outcome in emphatic fashion—toppling the self-proclaimed “King of New York” and stripping him of his aura with clinical finality.

 The official time of the stoppage was 17 seconds of the fifth round.