When he faces Alem Begic for the vacant WBO super middleweight title on May 23 in Egypt, the unbeaten British contender cannot afford to simply win. He needs to make another statement — the kind of performance that forces the boxing world to keep talking about him as the next opponent for Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez.

That is exactly what Sheeraz accomplished when he dismantled Edgar Berlanga in the main event slot of "Ring III" in July.

Now he has to do it again.

Earlier this year, Sheeraz was being lined up for a massive February showdown with Canelo in Riyadh. The fight had real momentum behind it and was viewed as one of the next marquee attractions on the Saudi boxing calendar.

But the plans collapsed in a single night.

First came the stunning upset loss to Terence Crawford in September — a defeat that shook the sport and stripped Canelo of his undisputed super middleweight crown. Crawford outboxed Alvarez over 12 rounds in Las Vegas to become the king at 168 before later retiring undefeated.

That was the first blow, then came another.

Canelo required elbow surgery following the defeat, delaying his return and completely wiping out the planned February fight with Sheeraz.

The opportunity disappeared overnight, but it did not disappear permanently.

Canelo is now scheduled to return in September against unbeaten WBC champion Christian Mbilli in Riyadh. The fight carries real pressure for him after the Crawford loss.

Mbilli is dangerous, aggressive, undefeated, and younger. Still, most observers view Canelo as the heavy favorite because of his experience, résumé, and championship pedigree.

But Canelo also needs to win convincingly to rebuild his aura.

That matters for Sheeraz because the entire landscape of future super middleweight megafights depends on what happens next.

If Canelo defeats Mbilli, attention will immediately shift toward the next major challenge available at 168.

That is where Sheeraz wants to position himself.

The Berlanga knockout pushed him into that conversation. It showed he could perform spectacularly under pressure against a recognizable name. Suddenly, he was no longer viewed as just a talented British contender — he looked like a future global force at super middleweight.

Those performances matter when chasing a Canelo fight.

At this point in his career, Canelo is not simply looking to fight contenders. He wants to secure lucrative opportunities.

A dominant win over Begic would strengthen the idea that Sheeraz is becoming exactly that kind of opportunity.

An underwhelming performance, however, could cool momentum quickly in a landscape with names such as Dmitry Bivol, Diego Pacheco, Osleys Iglesias, David Benavidez, Lester Martinez, Carlos Adames all competing for position.

The challenge for Sheeraz is that expectations have changed.

Against Berlanga, he shocked many people with how comprehensively he controlled and finished the fight. That performance raised the standard for what boxing now expects from him.

When fighters begin orbiting around Canelo discussions, every outing is judged differently. Fans and promoters stop asking whether they can win — they ask whether they look special enough to deserve the biggest stage in boxing.

That is the pressure Sheeraz enters with against Begic.

If Sheeraz captures the WBO title impressively while Canelo defeats Mbilli, the timing for a 2027 showdown could align naturally.

Canelo would once again hold a major belt and seek a fresh challenge. Sheeraz, meanwhile, could enter the fight undefeated, holding a world title and carrying momentum from consecutive statement victories.

That is a far more marketable fight than it was six months ago. And unlike many contenders at 168, Sheeraz offers something stylistically intriguing: size, patience, composure, and genuine knockout power.

Those are the kinds of opponents that always create intrigue around Canelo.

For now, though, none of the speculation matters unless Sheeraz handles business against Begic.

That is the reality of modern boxing. A fighter can look like the next superstar one night and lose momentum just as quickly in the next outing.

Sheeraz has already proved against Berlanga that he can create buzz on the biggest stage.

Against Alem Begic, he must remind everyone why the Canelo fight became realistic in the first place.