Hamzah Sheeraz’s second-round TKO of Tyler Denny Saturday clinches his position as the “nightmare” and “big giant” of the middleweight division, a gathering of fighters that has lacked star power since Gennadiy Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez moved on.
Well, that big giant is now knocking thunderously on the doors of 160-pound champions Janibek Alimkhanuly, Carlos Adames and Erislandy Lara, and whichever one answers first is likely going to be yielding his position and belt.
“When you see champions ducking and dodging, you already know what they think of Sheeraz,” ProBox TV’s Timothy Bradley Jr. said on Monday’s edition of “BoxingScene’s Top Stories.” “He can fight on the inside, the outside. He’s very crafty and youthful.”
Although Kazakhstan’s Alimkhanuly (15-0, 10 KOs) has worked on social media to refute reports, Bradley repeated what those who’ve spoken to insiders around the situation have said: that Alimkhanuly’s camp rejected $1.5 million to fight Sheeraz, 25, on Saturday’s Daniel Dubois-Anthony Joshua card in Wembley Stadium.
He instead is getting $200,000 to defend his IBF belt against Andrei Mikhailovich in Sydney on October 4. The WBO, which has England’s Sheeraz (21-0, 17 KOs) as its No. 1 contender, has refused to sanction the bout as a title defense.
The 6ft 3ins Sheeraz is also the WBC’s No. 1 contender to champion Adames.
As the glamor middleweight division has lost its allure in recent years, Sheeraz has showed in his run of 15 consecutives knockouts/stoppages, including his June 1 finish of Ammo Williams in the “5 versus 5” tournament that he is the most viable successor to past divisional greats Golovkin, Bernard Hopkins and Carlos Monzon.
“I don’t think we’re putting too much on him – 160 has some pretty solid contenders and it does have some difficult champions to beat,” former welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi said on “Top Stories.” “Sheeraz does look like the man who’ll be around for a while (from) the way he’s been winning with eye-catching power in a weight class that’s always been glamorous. He’s so dangerous.”
Hall of Famer Bradley said Sheeraz has the looks of “the full package,” with one of the few lingering questions on him being how he’ll respond to taking a flush shot to the chin.
“He will be a nightmare when one of these guys step up to face him,” Bradley said. “If (Alimkhanuly) turns that down, it shows they believe the hype.”
Former 140-pound champion Chris Algieri echoed, “This kid’s got it all. He’s something special with that size and power. He’s ready for the champions right now.”
It’s a matter of which sanctioning body will best enforce Sheeraz as a mandatory opponent. The IBF has spent the year pushing its mandatories, but for now, Mikhailovich is ranked higher (No. 3 to No. 4) over Sheeraz, with the top two spots temporarily vacant.
Algieri assesses that Adames is “the easiest” title bout to make.
“No one will fight him unless he’s a mandatory,” said Malignaggi.
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