Hamzah Sheeraz joined an exclusive club of British world champions last Saturday, comfortably dispatching the overmatched Alem Begic inside two rounds.
Truth be told, it was hardly the type of opponent you would expect to see in a fight at this level, yet Sheeraz nonetheless announced himself on the world stage with flying colours.
As a result, the UK now boasts a selection of six male champions, all considered among the very best in their respective weight divisions.
It is therefore worth considering the hurdles they could face, and potentially overcome, as each man looks to further establish himself in the sport.
Hamzah Sheeraz - WBO super middleweight champion
As mentioned, Sheeraz was faced with a vastly inferior opponent on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven, claiming the vacant WBO super-middleweight title with minimal difficulty.
His next outing, however, is likely to offer a far greater challenge, with the talented 27-year-old hoping to unify the 168lb division.
Such an opportunity could arrive against Jaime Munguia or Osleys Iglesias, the respective WBA and IBF champions, or perhaps the winner of Canelo Alvarez vs Christian Mbilli, which takes place for Mbilli’s WBC title on September 12.
In any event, the Ilford man is set to experience a far more generous dose of world-class competition later this year.
Daniel Dubois - WBO heavyweight champion
Against Fabio Wardley earlier this month, Daniel Dubois survived two knockdowns and showed, more generally, that he firmly belongs at world level.
Their brutal battle presented no shortage of heart-in-the-mouth moments as Dubois pumped out a thudding jab and utilised his superior footwork, eventually scoring an 11th-round finish to become a two-time heavyweight champion.
With Wardley having triggered the rematch clause in their contract, though, ‘Dynamite’ must now prepare to face the dangerous puncher once again, this time as the defending WBO champion.
Josh Kelly - IBF super-welterweight champion
Josh Kelly claimed his IBF super-welterweight title in January, pulling off a sizable upset to dethrone the previously unbeaten and largely avoided Bakhram Murtazaliev.
His tactics were applied to a remarkable standard against the formidable puncher, who was made to look somewhat basic against the dynamic movement of Kelly.
Following his majority decision victory, there was talk of the 32-year-old facing unified champion Xander Zayas, who will instead defend his WBO and WBA titles against Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis on June 27.
Perhaps Kelly could then be in line to collide with the winner, but only if he retains his title against expected challenger Caoimhin Agyarko later this year.
Lewis Crocker - IBF welterweight champion
Following his controversial victory over Paddy Donovan in March 2025, many would have scoffed at the suggestion of Lewis Crocker becoming an IBF welterweight champion.
He did, however, win their rematch last September, again in contentious fashion, by scoring two knockdowns and edging a razor-thin split decision.
As a defending world champion, the Belfast man is now gearing up to face mandatory challenger Liam Paro in Queensland, Australia, on June 24.
Should he emerge victorious, which is no foregone conclusion, then a trilogy showdown with Donovan would surely make financial sense for both parties.
Dalton Smith - WBC super-lightweight champion
By claiming his WBC super-lightweight strap in such emphatic fashion, Dalton Smith may have already reached the pinnacle of his career.
He will argue, of course, that there are still plenty more chapters to be written, yet how could he possibly replicate the feeling of pure elation that followed his fifth-round finish over Subriel Matias in January?
Perhaps only a unification match, or maybe a domestic dustup with Adam Azim, would see him experience similar emotions.
In terms of his immediate future, though, the 29-year-old must face Alberto Puello in a rescheduled clash after withdrawing from their encounter – originally set for June 6 – with an injury.
Anthony Cacace - WBA super-featherweight champion
By his own admission, Anthony Cacace produced far from his greatest performance against Jazza Dickens and yet, still, the 37-year-old managed to become a two-time world super-featherweight champion in March.
At this stage in his career, the Belfast man is only interested in securing the biggest and most lucrative opportunities, whether they include a unification match with Emanuel Navarrete or a blockbuster WBA title defence against Nick Ball.
With Ball set to move up to 130lbs, the Liverpudlian certainly represents a potential opponent, while IBF and WBO champion Navarrete is seemingly the more elusive target.
