Hamzah Sheeraz settles for draw with Carlos Adames
Carlos Adames ended Hamzah Sheeraz’s 15-fight knockout streak with a split points draw to hold on to his WBC world middleweight title.
Adames (24-1-1, 18 KOs), 30, from Dominican Republic and based in Las Vegas, took a while to get going but in the second half of the fight he was bolder and busier.
However, his strong finish was not enough to get the win as the judges scored it 115-114 to Sheeraz, 118-110 to Adames and 114-114 a draw on the Riyadh Season event in Saudi Arabia.
Sheeraz (21-0-1, 17 KOs), 25, from east London and who trains in California, has looked so destructive in recent years and stopped his previous 15 opponents going into his first world title fight, but he was reticent in throwing the power punches and uppercuts which have served him so well.
The six-foot-three fighter instead utilised his four-inch height and two-inch reach advantages early on, only for Adames to unpick the lock and land power shots in the second half of the fight.
Sheeraz destroyed Tyler Denny in two rounds in his last outing in September, but he made a patient start behind his jab versus Adames.
Sheeraz waited until Round 4 before he started to unleash his right hand with any conviction as the English fighter controlled the fight with his jab.
Adames had more success at close range in Round 6 as Sheeraz stopped moving around the ring, and the champion landed a great arching right hand in Round 8 as he remained in the ascendancy.
Adames made up ground as Sheeraz held back from letting his hands go, and firing his heavy artillery.
Sheeraz was bolder in Round 11 and briefly shook Adames with left hook but the champion finished strongly which looked to have been enough to win him the decision.
Callum Smith beat Joshua Buatsi by unanimous decision on Saturday to take the WBO interim light heavyweight title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The two Brits locked heads from the opening bell and didn’t let up until the last in an entertaining, bruising fight. Smith was busier throughout the contest, landing some big shots to the body of Buatsi who looked like he struggled to find his rhythm.
The judges scored it 119-110, 115-113 and 116-112. Buatsi will feel hard done by with regards to the first score having landed plenty of good shots that had Smith on the ropes at times.
However, Smith, the more experienced of the two, was too slick and closed out the fight well to claim victory.
While the pair engaged in a fast-paced battle throughout, it was Smith who looked the more energised of the two for the most part, despite being three years older than his countryman. As the fight wore on, he built some good combinations that stopped Buatsi getting any real momentum.
It’s a remarkable result for Smith, who has said he contemplated stepping away from the sport following defeat to Artur Beterbiev in January 2024. However, he decided to go round again and the win, and manner of it, against Buatsi shows he can still compete at the top level.
Taking Buatsi’s WBO interim belt also means Smith has put himself in a strong position to fight for the world title once again just over a year after the loss to Beterbiev.
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Hamzah Sheeraz may not have captured his first world title, but he should consider himself fortunate to leave Saudi Arabia with his undefeated record still intact.
Sheeraz and Carlos Adames fought to a controversial split draw on Saturday’s Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2 undercard at the Anb Arena in Riyadh, ending their battle for Adames’ WBC middleweight title in anticlimactic fashion. Sheeraz, an ascendent British star, appeared to be both outworked and outboxed by Adames over the course of 12 close rounds, however, the judges ultimately turned in scores of 118-110 Adames, 115-114 Sheeraz and a 114-114 draw, resulting in Adames retaining his belt.
While neither fighter was ever in significant danger, Adames (25-1, 18 KOs) consistently kept Sheeraz (21-1, 17 KOs) on his back foot and seemingly took control with a volume attack in the second half of the bout. Adames out-landed Sheeraz by a margin of 94-48 in overall power punches, according to CompuBox data, and 123-101 in total punches over the final eight rounds.
Despite his status as the challenger, Sheeraz, 25, entered as a near 3-to-1 betting favorite on BetMGM, buoyed by a groundswell of hype from his sensational 3-0 campaign in 2024. He looked the part early as well, using his 6-foot-3 frame to fight tall, jab Adames from distance and keep the action at his preferred range in the opening rounds. The champion, however, was undeterred.
Adames, 30, came on strong as the rounds wore on, bulldogging his way inside while launching a variety of combinations to the head and body, forcing Sheeraz to retreat into a more defensive approach.
Adames at times utilized brilliant defensive head movement to make his foe whiff wildly on bigger shots when Sheeraz did open up, all the while continuing to apply punching pressure and stay on the front foot.
By the championship rounds, Sheeraz’s corner was pleading for their fighter to push for a finish, and while Sheeraz began to find more success — including a nasty counter left hand in the 11th round — he retained very little urgency to follow up on his power punches, instead throwing mostly single shots.
Fortunately for the Queensberry Promotions fighter, the judges declined to agree, ensuring Sheeraz remains in the immediate title picture as Adames returns home with the WBC belt.
Check out full results, highlights and Uncrowned’s round-by-round coverage for Saturday’s stacked Beterbiev vs. Bivol 2 fight card here.
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Carlos Adames and Hamzah Sheeraz fight to draw, Adames retains middleweight title
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Carlos Adames still has the WBC middleweight title after a draw with Hamzah Sheeraz.
Carlos Adames and Hamzah Sheeraz fought to a 12-round draw today in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with Adames retaining his WBC middleweight title.
Adames (24-1-1, 18 KO) won one card wide, 118-110, which went against what most anyone saw, while Sheeraz (21-0-1, 17 KO) took a narrow card of 115-114, and the third scorecard was even, 114-114.
Bad Left Hook unofficially scored the fight 115-113 and 116-112 for Sheeraz, whose first crack at a world title did not result in any gold, but also didn’t come with a first professional defeat.
Sheeraz, 25, did appear in control early, working behind his height and long jab, but the 30-year-old Adames wasn’t being dominated, either, and certainly found his way into the fight as things progressed.
Sheeraz at times appeared to be a fighter with no “Plan B,” as Adames made adjustments and Sheeraz kept at the same pace and approach pretty much throughout the fight.
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Sheeraz was the betting and pundit favorite going into the bout, but the young middleweight contender obviously fell short of what he hoped to achieve here, and will likely look back on the fight and kick himself for not being more aggressive a little more often, as when he did look to impose his will, he had some success.
A rematch would seem likely, as long as it’s what Turki Alalshikh wants to see, and there is certainly some unfinished business. If the two meet again, do you favor the younger Sheeraz to switch things up and come out on top, or will Adames have seen enough to perhaps start more confidently — not that the card he won suggests he was ever anything but in control?
