Right Then — Sheeraz Gets His First Defence
Right then, the Joshua vs Prenga card in Riyadh on July 25 just got a lot more interesting on paper, with Sheeraz vs Zachenhuber added underneath it as a genuine world title fight. Hamzah Sheeraz, unbeaten at 23-0-1 with 19 knockouts, makes the first defence of the WBO super middleweight belt he took off Alem Begic back in May — a brilliant, one-sided mauling that announced Sheeraz as a proper player at 168. Now it's Simon Zachenhuber, the German southpaw ranked No. 7 in the division, standing in front of him.
The Zachenhuber Question
Let's not beat around the bush — Zachenhuber's record of 29-1 with 18 stoppages looks the part on paper, but he was outpointed over six rounds by Pawel August just three months ago. That's the elephant in the room here. With August himself on the same Riyadh undercard against Jacob Bank, the No. 2 contender behind Canelo Alvarez, it's fair to ask why Sheeraz isn't the one testing himself against the sterner names in that queue instead.
Why The Matchmaking Makes Sense Anyway
I get the caution, though. First defences are notoriously the ones that go wrong — ask anyone who's watched a hyped titleholder get caught cold in fight one after a big breakthrough win. Sheeraz's team clearly want him sharp, active, and out there on a huge Riyadh bill without unnecessary danger, keeping the bigger nights — Bank, and eventually the winner of Canelo's rearranged clash with Christian Mbilli — down the road. Zachenhuber, southpaw and durable with 18 knockouts, still asks a genuine boxing question even if he isn't the murderer's row option.
What Sheeraz Needs To Show
For me, Sheeraz vs Zachenhuber is about the champion's discipline as much as the danger level. Sheeraz has the size, the reach and the finishing instinct — Begic found that out the hard way — but southpaws have given live ones trouble before, and Zachenhuber will look to spoil, work behind that jab and make it awkward rather than trade.
My Prediction
I've got Sheeraz doing his job here, breaking Zachenhuber down with the jab and the body work in the championship rounds before the referee steps in around round eight or nine. If he looks anything less than dominant, though, expect the “safe opponent” noise to get louder, and rightly so. Back Sheeraz to win it, but this is a fight where how he wins matters more than the result itself.