Frank Warren criticizes Hamzah Sheeraz for vacating WBO title

Queensberry Promotions boss Frank Warren has expressed deep disappointment following Hamzah Sheeraz’s decision to vacate his WBO super middleweight title. The move comes after Warren’s company won a purse bid of just over $1 million to stage a mandatory defense against Janibek Alimkhanuly.

Under the purse split, Sheeraz was set to receive approximately $750,000 for the bout. Warren criticized the decision to relinquish the belt, stating there was “no reason; there’s no rationale to that” and suggesting Sheeraz had been poorly advised. Warren noted that his team worked extensively to position Sheeraz to win the title.

The dispute stems from the WBO ordering Sheeraz to defend against Alimkhanuly, despite Alimkhanuly’s previous testing positive for meldonium in November. While Sheeraz had grounds to question the sanctioning body's decision, the surrender of the title after a successful purse bid has left him without a major bargaining chip for future high-profile fights. As a result of Sheeraz vacating, the WBO has ordered Alimkhanuly to face Jacob Bank for the vacant championship.