Hamzah Sheeraz and Alem Begic will fight for the vacant WBO title on Saturday night in Egypt, with the bout set for the Oleksandr Usyk-Rico Verhoeven undercard at the Pyramids of Giza. For Sheeraz, it is the first world-title opportunity of his career and his first major fight since moving up to super middleweight.

At Thursday's final press conference, Sheeraz said he hoped to win his first world title fight with the help of Andy Lee, his team and everyone involved. “Yeah, man, let’s make history,” he said, adding: “It’s timing. I feel like the stars are aligning. It’s meant to be my moment.” Sheeraz said he has kept things simple in the gym and believes the work is paying off.

The 6-foot-3 British fighter has said he feels stronger and healthier at 168 after previously struggling to make the middleweight limit. That move has sharpened the stakes around Saturday's fight: a win would put him straight into major super middleweight bouts linked to Christian Mbilli and Canelo Alvarez.

Begic, who is trying to spoil the script, praised his opponent while making clear he sees the night as his own chance to break through. He called Sheeraz a world-class talent, a world-class boxer and the future of boxing, then said Saturday night in Egypt would be his moment to shine after working hard all year for the opportunity. He also said he never imagined he would be performing on such a stage in such a setting.

That leaves the fight with two storylines that do not quite match: Sheeraz is being positioned as a future title figure, while Begic is stepping in as the man intent on turning a rare chance into the biggest win of his career. On Saturday night at the Pyramids of Giza, one of those narratives will get a boost, and the loser will have to wait for the next opening to prove he belongs in the frame.