The super middleweight division has begun a new chapter after Terence Crawford’s surprise retirement, with the WBO ordering unbeaten contenders Hamzah Sheeraz and Diego Pacheco to fight for its now-vacant world title. Crawford bows out at 42–0, leaving a clean sweep of belts behind him and opening the door for a new generation at 168 lbs.
Terence Crawford stunned the boxing world by announcing his retirement just months after the biggest win of his career. He had moved up two weight classes to dethrone Canelo Álvarez, becoming undisputed super middleweight champion and cementing a perfect professional record.
A rematch with Canelo for 2026 had been widely discussed, but instead of extending his reign, Crawford has chosen to walk away while holding all four belts. His exit leaves a power vacuum at 168 lbs and gives ambitious contenders a rare opportunity to compete for abandoned titles that were previously locked down by an all-time great.
WBO moves quickly at super middleweight
Among the sanctioning bodies, the WBO has been the first to formalize its post-Crawford plans. It has officially ordered a world title fight between two unbeaten super middleweights: Britain’s Hamzah Sheeraz and the United States’ Diego Pacheco.
Sheeraz enters the frame on the back of a statement-making debut at super middleweight. In July, he knocked out Edgar Berlanga inside five rounds, dropping him twice in the fourth and finishing the job early in the fifth. That performance, combined with his earlier run at middleweight, solidified his standing as one of the division’s most dangerous rising forces.
Pacheco, meanwhile, remains perfect as a professional with 25 wins from 25 bouts. His most recent outing saw him claim a unanimous decision over Kevin Sadjo, overcoming a knockdown along the way and showing resilience, composure and late-round focus to close out the fight strongly.
Hamzah Sheeraz has built his name as a tall, rangy puncher with a strong jab and fight-ending power. Before moving to 168 lbs, he had challenged for the WBC middleweight title against Carlos Adames, coming away with a split decision draw that proved he could compete at world level. His stoppage of Berlanga in his first full move up in weight suggested that the extra pounds suit him and may even have unlocked more power.
Diego Pacheco represents the other side of this new equation: a young, highly touted technician whose record speaks to both activity and consistency. Winning all 25 of his fights, he has shown the ability to go rounds, box under pressure and respond to adversity, as seen in his points victory over Sadjo after hitting the canvas.
Stylistically, their eventual clash promises an intriguing contrast between Sheeraz’s long-lever aggression and Pacheco’s blend of boxing IQ and physicality. It is the kind of matchup that naturally fuels discussions, debates and boxing predictions across the sport’s media, fan forums and every major Youtube Channel that tracks the super middleweight division.
While the WBO has ordered Sheeraz vs Pacheco, the two teams have not yet formally confirmed that they will proceed with the bout. With a full world title on the line and both fighters unbeaten, there is a strong expectation that the fight will be made rather than passed up.
The working assumption is that, if agreed, the contest would take place at some point in early 2026. That would align with the broader restructuring of the division as other organizations also begin to redistribute the belts Crawford leaves behind. The WBO’s move thus becomes the first clear building block in a new championship landscape.
Impact on the super middleweight division
Crawford’s retirement removes a dominant, undisputed champion from the picture and replaces him with uncertainty—but also opportunity. Instead of one established star holding all the titles, the division is now opening up to hungry contenders who have long been waiting for their chance.
The ordering of Sheeraz–Pacheco signals that the next era at 168 lbs will likely be shaped by fresh faces and new rivalries, rather than immediate rematches from the previous regime. For fans, that means a wave of new storylines: vacant titles to be claimed, unification possibilities to be built, and contenders trying to prove they are more than just beneficiaries of a legendary champion’s exit.
In this evolving context, the WBO title fight between Sheeraz and Pacheco stands as one of the early key moments in defining who will lead the post-Crawford super middleweight era—and whose name boxing news outlets will soon be writing alongside the sport’s most prestigious belts.
