Much has been placed on Hamzah Sheeraz’s shoulders as the rising middleweight faces his toughest test to headline the Copperbox Arena this weekend, but Frank Warren has a clear plan of action involving him and a highly motivated Anthony Yarde. So, will all go to plan?
Getting it done, one way or another
Unified world middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly will look to become undisputed king at 160lbs before too long, but first has to satisfy his mandatory title defences in what many have deemed a sleeping giant division at present.
The hard-hitting Kazakh won the full WBO strap against Denzel Bentley and the sanctioning body’s current top-10 rankings speak for themselves: Nathan Heaney sits at four after surprising Bentley in Manchester before Christmas, while Sheeraz (#5) and Liam Williams (#6) just trail the newly-crowned British champion.
Heaney will return to the north East against English titlist Brad Pauls on March 16, while there’s optimism a summer bout between the 34-year-old and Sheeraz can be made at the former’s beloved bet365 Stadium in Stoke if they both prove successful.
There’s always a heightened sense of jeopardy when future plans already seem in place, though Sheeraz is up first, hoping to stay injury and controversy-free against a former world championship challenger who believes the Queensberry team have made a mistake matching the pair up at this stage of the Welshman’s career.
Queensberry chief Frank Warren is optimistcally backing Hamzah – as he should – and there’s a clear roadmap given previous events elsewhere in a division without a clear number one since Canelo Alvarez last boxed at the weight in May 2019.
He told 32Red (h/t: BoxingScene): “I think if he comes through and looks good doing it, then Heaney wins in March, that is a very good situation. You think about what a problem Denzel gave the champion – he could’ve won if he’d started earlier – then I think, I’d fancy Hamzah against him. I really would.”
The Yarde of it all
Warren has repeatedly said, both publicly and to me in recent months, there’s a desire to make Joshua Buatsi vs. Anthony Yarde once and for all. Unlike they would’ve wanted, it just won’t have a full world title on the line for both.
“From a financial point of view it makes sense for everybody concerned, let the other two [Beterbiev and Bivol] have their fight – aren’t getting any younger, the belts might well end up fragmenting again.”
Having marked his return on the Zhang-Joyce 2 undercard back in September, Anthony Yarde was supposed to fight again come December before this main event matchup was rescheduled after Sheeraz’s perforated eardrum injury in training.
He boxes Serbia’s Marko Nicolic here and while the two-time world championship challenger has been linked with names like Callum Smith as well as a returning Craig Richards of late, the 32-year-old made no bones about who his next target is.
Joshua Buatsi is that man, having scored a hard-fought UD12 victory over friendly longtime sparring partner and European champion Dan Azeez last weekend.
Yarde has featured on Sky programming recently, had quotes published on their digital platforms and a potential domestic duel between them – more than five years later – looks more likely than ever before over the summer months.
Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol on June 1 ties up the four world championships at 175lbs after being confirmed to headline another Riyadh card in Saudi Arabia, so the timeline makes sense to keep it as close as the pair, though a rematch is possible.
Yarde’s handlers have been heavily criticised for several years as many believe his resume features favourable matchmaking tailor-made for him to look good at the lower levels, before coming unstuck against the division’s elite.
He had his moments both against Sergey Kovalev (2019) and Beterbiev last January, but ultimately wilted twice. There’s no shame in that, provided he then boxes the tier below in opposition quality – something that hasn’t happened often in his career.
Besides an unexpected two-fight series with former IBO world titlist Lyndon Arthur, who else fits that category? As such, a lot more questions remain and the internal hope is he’ll blast through with another highlight reel knockout this weekend before agreeing terms – however it can be done – with Sky for a Buatsi showdown.
Saturday’s card in full, is as follows
12 rounds
Hamzah Sheeraz (c) vs. Liam Williams for WBC Silver, Commonwealth middleweight titles
Sam Noakes (c) vs. Lewis Sylvester for Commonwealth, WBC International Silver lightweight titles
10 rounds
Featherweight: Masood Abdulah vs. Qais Ashfaq
Light-heavyweight: Anthony Yarde vs. Marko Nikolic
Light-heavy, 8 rounds: Karol Itauma vs. Eros Seghetti
6 rounds
Cruiserweight: Aloys Youmbi vs. Milosav Savic
Cruiser: Tommy Fletcher vs. Alvaro Terrero
Featherweight: Umar Khan vs. Maicol Velazco
4 rounds
Super-featherweight: Billy Adams vs. Engel Gomez
Featherweight: Charlie Hickford vs. Yin Caicedo
Middleweight: Sam King vs. Bartosz Glowacki
Picture source: Getty Images, quotes hyperlinked
Mo and Sports 