Just as the dust was beginning to settle after the Edgar Berlanga vs. Hamzah Sheeraz fight on July 12, signs of a brewing storm have begun to emerge. On Saturday night at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, Sheeraz dropped ‘The Chosen One’ twice in the fourth round before securing a fifth-round knockout in their title eliminator bout. Now, in a surprising twist, Berlanga’s wife, Genesis Calderon, has come forward with troubling allegations that could further shake up the boxing world.

A few days ago, Berlanga broke his silence following the devastating loss, showing a surprisingly humble side in defeat. It seemed the Brooklyn-born puncher would have to rebuild from the ground up if he hoped to earn another shot at a world title. However, if the allegations made by his wife yesterday carry even a shred of truth, the consequences could be far-reaching, potentially jeopardizing Sheeraz’s promised clash with Canelo Alvarez, a bout endorsed by His Excellency Turki Alalshikh. But the burning question remains: what exactly are the allegations here?

“WE CAN ACCEPT DEFEAT WITH GRACE – BUT I CAN’T STAY QUIET ABOUT WHAT I SAW. THERE’S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LOSING A FIGHT AND BEING SET UP TO BE HURT,” Genesis Calderon shared on Instagram. In a striking allegation, she claimed that after the fight, only Hamzah Sheeraz’s right-hand wrap was removed for inspection. “But it was the left hand that dropped my husband. Why wasn’t that wrap taken off immediately?”

Typically, hand wraps are inspected by officials before a bout, with post-fight inspections being rare unless a specific protest or concern is raised. In the captions, she stated, “The left hand that dropped Edgar had a wrap that looked tampered with, yellow-stained, hard, and suspicious. And that wrap wasn’t even removed after the fight.” Still, Calderon didn’t hold back. “There was clear yellow discoloration on that left wrap – it looked thick, almost like a cast. And I’ve now seen pictures from a previous fight… same exact thing.” She went on to suggest that the yellow substance might be “resin or epoxy – both completely illegal. If that’s true, this goes beyond boxing. This becomes dangerous.”

Although she acknowledged that the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) signed off on Sheeraz’s wraps, she questioned the process: “How did this get approved – again?” Referring to Berlanga’s previous bout against Canelo Alvarez, Genesis Calderon noted he looked far better after that fight, which, in her words, “says a lot.” She continued, “I am proud of Edgar… But as his wife, I sat ringside with tears in my eyes—not from the loss, but from what felt unfair.” She wrapped up her statement by clarifying she wasn’t bitter—just deeply concerned for her husband’s safety and for the integrity of the sport, and that “this needs to be investigated.”

As of now, Sheeraz and his team have not officially responded to the allegations, though the British fighter has spoken publicly about his win over Berlanga.

Hamzah Sheeraz admits ‘I broke him, I broke his spirit’ after the Edgar Berlanga win

After putting on an absolute clinic, Sheeraz spoke to Fight Hype about his win over Berlanga, especially what was going on inside his head when he dropped Berlanga for the first time. “He was hurt…The punches I was hitting him with, I was hurting him, there was nothing flash happening,” Berlanga told the reporters.

It’s worth noting that in the lead-up to the fight, oddmakers had seen the bout as a 50-50 affair, if not slightly in Berlanga’s favor. Not to mention, Sheeraz was coming off an underwhelming performance against Carlos Adames at middleweight. Regardless, reflecting on the moment he hurt Berlanga in the second round, Sheeraz added, “I was talking to him. I told him I’d talk to him. And I broke him, I broke his spirit, and that’s what got me the victory.”

From the looks of things, the Edgar Berlanga vs. Hamzah Sheeraz story hasn’t quite ended yet. Only time will tell whether any further developments come from this. But what do you make of Calderon’s allegations?