Just as the dust was beginning to settle after Edgar Berlanga’s crushing loss to Hamzah Sheeraz on July 12, a new storm has begun to brew. In a thrilling showdown at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, Sheeraz dropped ‘The Chosen One’ twice in the fourth round, ultimately securing a knockout in the fifth round of their title eliminator. Berlanga might have played it cool after the fight, hinting at a low-key comeback, but his wife, Genesis Calderon, threw a wrench in the works with some heavy accusations. In an emotionally charged statement, she claimed: “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.”

The explosive accusation has cast a cloud over what was supposed to be Sheeraz’s ascension toward a marquee bout with Canelo Alvarez, a fight already greenlit by His Excellency Turki Alalshikh. So while Eddie Hearn dismissed the controversy as “ridiculous,” Hamzah Sheeraz has now directly responded to the claims regarding his handwraps, firmly defending the integrity of his performance.

Just hours ago, Hamzah Sheeraz appeared in a candid interview with IFL TV, where the conversation quickly turned to the controversy surrounding his recent win over Edgar Berlanga. The reporter referenced comments from both Andy Lee and Frank Warren, who had dismissed the allegations and urged everyone to move on. When asked for his thoughts, Sheeraz didn’t mince words. “It’s actually a compliment,” he said. “It’s a compliment because he got beat that bad. They are stooping low to find excuses. And his missus… I don’t know, man. Just f—— no comment. That’s all I got to say on it.” Sheeraz moreover, made it clear that his next focus is solely on landing the Canelo Alvarez fight as planned.

In case you don’t remember, the controversy began when Berlanga’s wife, Genesis Calderon, alleged foul play involving Sheeraz’s hand wraps. In a detailed statement, she claimed, “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.” While acknowledging that the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) had approved the wraps, she questioned the oversight, asking, “How did this get approved, again?”

Calderon insisted that her concerns had nothing to do with bitterness, but rather a desire to protect fighters and uphold the integrity of the sport. She pointed out that Berlanga came out of his previous fight against Canelo Alvarez looking far better than he did after facing Sheeraz, which, in her view, “says a lot.” She then concluded her statement by insisting she wasn’t bitter, just genuinely concerned for her husband’s safety and the integrity of the sport, adding, “this needs to be investigated.” Ultimately, in response to her claims, Team Hamzah Sheeraz has since issued further clarification on the matter.

Hamzah Sheeraz’s coach points at commission after Berlanga’s wife speaks out

Just two days after the post hit the scene, the controversy has already thrown a punch that stirred up a hornet’s nest. With rumors flying around, Hamzah Sheeraz’s camp jumped in to set the record straight before things got out of hand. The spotlight has now turned to Andy Lee, Sheeraz’s trainer and second cousin of former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, whose response has made waves across social media. Lee, who took charge of Sheeraz’s corner following the Carlos Adames setback, this February, and helped revive the career of Joseph Parker, issued a direct reply after an Instagram user raised pointed questions.

Jeremy Fiorentino, a former amateur boxer, questioned the legitimacy of Sheeraz’s post-fight conduct. “Hamzah Sheeraz TEAM RESPONDS to my SUSPICIOUS HANDWRAPS video, but NO ONE CAN ANSWER THE ONE QUESTION I AM ASKING FROM DAY 1… Have you ever seen a pro boxer leave the ring with just one hand wrap on and go all the way to the locker room?” And given how decisively Sheeraz dismantled Berlanga, some even have begun to question whether his power had an unfair edge, particularly in his left hand.

And Andy Lee swiftly shut down the rumors. Responding directly in the comments of the viral clip, he stated: “I wrapped his hands.” Regarding the much-discussed left-hand wrap, Lee clarified, “The commission wouldn’t allow me to cut the second wrap off after the fight.” He also emphasized that both the commission and Berlanga’s team were present during the wrapping process. “Both the commission and Berlanga’s coach watched me wrap Hamzah’s hands and inspected all gauze and tape used,” Lee added. So with all that said, what’s your take on the allegations?