Hamzah Sheeraz loses his favourite sparring partner in Justin Bieber after swapping LA for Ireland to switch trainers
HAMZAH SHEERAZ has swapped Los Angeles for Ireland - leaving behind his favourite sparring partner in Justin Bieber.
The East Londoner spent five years in California under coach Ricky Funez at the Tengoose Boxing Club - famed for its star-studded members.
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Boxing great Floyd Mayweather and Hollywood's Mario Lopez are among regulars in the sweltering San Fernando Valley gym.
And Sheeraz even once trained alongside and did some rounds with hip hop icon Bieber - now leaving behind his most famous sparring partner.
He told SunSport: "I've lost it! But, you never know. I mean, the level I'm fighting at now in boxing, you don't know who you'll be training with tomorrow.
'So, I wouldn't write it off just yet.'
Bieber - who used to walk Mayweather to the ring - is known to be a boxing fanatic and handy with the gloves on.
Sheeraz revealed: 'I think he uses boxing a bit as like an escapism. So I didn't really talk to him too much.
'I just put my hands up and let him beat me up, to be fair. For what he's portrayed to be, he could fight. He can definitely fight.'
Sheeraz, 25, returns on July 12 in New York up at super-middleweight against Edgar Berlanga, 28.
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Berlanga lost a one-sided decision to Canelo Alvarez, 34, in September after being dropped in the third round with a left hook.
Sheeraz meanwhile moves up from middleweight off the back of a disputed draw against WBC champion Carlos Adames, 31.
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And more controversy struck after Saudi boxing supremo Turki Alalshikh appeared to warn Sheeraz that he was losing the fight with two rounds to go.
But the WBC and British Boxing Board of Control - who sanctioned the fight - denied that Alalshikh had access to the judges scorecards.
Adames kept hold of his title while Sheeraz - who suffered a hand injury in the bout - decided it was time to move up from 160lb to 168lb.
It was not his best performance, he acknowledged, unlike the brash and outspoken Berlanga in the aftermath of his defeat to Canelo.
Sheeraz said: "I think he's a little bit insecure about that performance.
'He's not a realist, is he? I was real about my last fight, it wasn't my best fight and you move on and you learn from these things.
'You don't make excuses for this, that, the other, do you know what I mean?
'You take it on the chin and you carry on. But he's a little bit different, out here, I think he genuinely believes he's a superstar.
'It's interesting but like I said, I'm enjoying it.'
Sheeraz has also hired Irish former middleweight world champion Andy Lee after moving up to super-middleweight - starting camp in Ireland.
He said: "It's going well. I genuinely like him, he's a good man. And I feel like we're gonna have a very, very successful relationship.'
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