Hamzah Sheeraz has established himself as one of the most formidable contenders at 160 lbs, ending his last nine outings inside the distance.
The 25-year-old comes off an emphatic second-round finish over Tyler Denny in September, featuring on the undercard of Daniel Dubois’ stunning upset victory against Anthony Joshua.
But before that, the hard-hitting middleweight produced an even more eye-catching performance to halt highly-touted American contender Austin Williams in the 11th round.
Since then, Sheeraz has been catapulted into the limelight, with Queensberry Promotions boss Frank Warren insisting that his next assignment will be for world honors.
Hamzah Sheeraz withdraws from WBO purse bid for Zhanibek Alimkhanuly showdown
There are currently three world champions parading the middleweight division, with each of them offering varying levels of ability and experience.
Zhanibek Alimkhanuly, however, is widely regarded as the top dog, with the IBF and WBO king boasting a versatile skillset and ruthless killer instinct.
The unbeaten Kazakh comes off a dominant display to stop Andrei Mikhailovich in the ninth round after flooring his opponent early doors.
Their contest, though, was due to take place earlier this year, until Alimkhanuly was rushed off to hospital during fight week after his extreme weight cut took a turn for the worse.
Questions were then raised once it was revealed that the 31-year-old had fainted from dehydration – and yet he still continues to campaign at 160 lbs.
But despite a perceived element of vulnerability attached to Alimkhanuly, WBO number-one ranked contender Sheeraz has decided to swerve the world title opportunity.
In a statement on X, WBO president Gustavo Olivieri wrote: “Be advised Promoter George Warren of Queensberry Promotions, on behalf of [Sheeraz] confirmed fighter will withdraw the Mandatory against WBO Middleweight Champion [Alimkhanuly].
“Today’s purse bid [was] canceled. Committee will reconvene to determine next steps.”
Will Hamzah Sheeraz fight WBC champion Carlos Adames instead?
Warren has claimed that Sheeraz will be fighting for a world title on February 22, though the veteran promoter has not revealed which champion will face him.
Still, it can be assumed that a shot at WBC champion Carlos Adames is the most likely next step, given that the Brit is ranked as the 30-year-old’s number one challenger.
Adames, meanwhile, comes off a wide unanimous decision victory over Terrell Gausha, but is perhaps still yet to prove himself as an elite operator.