Hamzah Sheeraz, a British boxer, has stepped down from a planned match against Janibek Alimkhanuly and has given up his WBO super-middleweight title, the organization confirmed. The WBO, one of the major boxing sanctioning bodies, had required Sheeraz to face Alimkhanuly, who is currently the number one challenger for the title. A purse bid, where promoters compete to host the fight by offering a financial guarantee, took place on Thursday. Queensberry Promotions, Sheeraz's team, won with a bid of $1,001,809, beating Top Rank’s offer of $850,000. Originally, the fight was set to take place in late November or early December in London, Birmingham, or New York. However, the WBO confirmed on Friday that Sheeraz, 27, had withdrawn from the bout. WBO President Gustavo Olivieri announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Queensberry Promotions had formally informed the WBO that Sheeraz had chosen not to proceed with the mandatory fight against Alimkhanuly and had voluntarily given up his title. The WBO expressed respect for Sheeraz’s decision and said the organization would remain open to him in the future, offering well-wishes for his continued success. The WBO World Championship Committee will make a decision on Monday, September 21, regarding the status of the WBO super-middleweight title and the future of the division. Sheeraz’s manager, Spencer Brown, has not yet commented on the situation. Meanwhile, Alimkhanuly’s manager, Egis Klimas, took to X to claim that Sheeraz had vacated the title and criticized him for being "ashamed." Klimas also suggested that Sheeraz had been intimidated by the challenge, referencing qualities in boxing that cannot be trained, such as having a strong chin or being fearless. Sheeraz, who has a record of 24 wins and one draw, claimed the WBO super-middleweight title in May after defeating Alem Begic. He successfully defended the title in July against Simon Zachenhuber. Alimkhanuly’s claim to the title has been controversial, especially after he tested positive for meldonium in December 2022. The WBO suspended him for a year but allowed him to keep the title, while the IBF stripped him of theirs. The WBO later ended his suspension early and named Alimkhanuly the mandatory challenger for Sheeraz’s title. In August, Sheeraz criticized the WBO’s decision, calling it "disgraceful to the sport of boxing."