Middleweight boxing has been in the doldrums in recent years, but Hamzah Sheeraz could help usher its rightful return to prominence.

One of the sport's original glamour divisions has been starved of big-time fights at 160 pounds since Canelo Alvarez's move up to super-middleweight and Gennady Golovkin's apparent exit from in-ring action.

On February 22nd, however, we could move a step closer to gaining another star, as Sheeraz (21-0, 17 KOs) challenges WBC titleholder Carlos Adames (24-1, 18 KOs) on the Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol undercard.

In 2024, twenty-five-year-old Sheeraz, ranked No. 2 in the middleweight division by The Ring, destroyed Liam Williams in a round before putting in a dominant performance to stop Austin 'Ammo' Williams four months later in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The Ilford-born fighter rounded off his year with another easy win over Tyler Denny. But Adames, The Ring's No. 3 160-pounder, poses an entirely different challenge.

Adames has been competing in world level fights since 2019 and holds big wins over Sergiy Derevyanchenko, Julian Williams and Terrell Gausha.

His only defeat came when he dropped a decision to former WBO junior-middleweight champ Patrick Teixeira over four years ago.

But Sheeraz, who has been fighting for Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions since his debut in 2017, is more than ready.

He said at a press conference in London: "This is the opportunity. If I'm not ready now then I don't think I'll ever be ready.

"Ever since I was eight years old, I was the young kid who always wanted to win that gold and green belt.

"February 22nd is a hard task, I'm under no illusions about what I've got in front of me but I believe I'm going to do the business. There'll be a new WBC Middleweight champion of the world.

"All I gotta' do is keep working hard because when I get the opportunities, I deliver.

"It's a pinch-myself moment. These are fighters I've watched growing up and then next thing; you're sitting at the table with them and getting advice from them. But I'll always remain humble and blessed."

Should Sheeraz beat Adames, all eyes will point towards a mouth-watering unification clash against Janibek Alimkhanuly (16-0, 11 KOs), ranked No. 1 by The Ring at middleweight and holder of the IBF & WBO titles.

Alimkhanuly's toughest fight to date came in a decision win over Denzel Bentley in 2022.

Since then, he has picked up stoppage wins against Steven Butler, Vincenzo Gualtieri and Andrei Mikhailovich.