Hamzah Sheeraz

Sheeraz vs Benn incoming for the undisputed Zuffa champion of the universe belt

 

Fighting a lot on PPVs in different countries for the last 3 years wont have helped build a fan base either.

Would love to know how many people watched his fight on the Egypt card for example.

This is the issue with DAZN, it is so hidden, we wont be able to build a star

 

It will be interesting what he now expects to be paid without a Belt that inflates value as a World Champion.

Now, minus the WBO Belt, he is just another fighter at 168. Doesn't make any financial sense.

Own Goal in my opinion. Quackers!

 

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I think the money talk is just an excuse to duck. Sheeraz has a very stationary upper body and his work rate goes way down when the opponent is consistently throwing. Sounds like a good combination to let Janibek's massive left hand come from below and detonate on his chin. If this was another no-hoper he would've taken this bout instantly even for less money.

 

I like Sheeraz but he's turning his back on Bricktop, the guy who took a punt on him and handled his career perfectly.

 

He is a KO artist you can't get more fan friendly than that, he lets himself down when matched against technical fighters who can easily evade his attacks and make him look ordinary/boring. He also has an Amir Khan style group of hardcore fans who go to all his fights as well as being a big star in the Islamic community both in the UK and abroad. That makes him indispensable for Turki to justify the huge event spending as featuring Muslim fighters resonates deeply across Saudi Arabia and the UAE, where there are massive Pakistani diasporas. In my opinion, the issue comes down to Frank Warren. If Hamzah Sheeraz and Moses Itauma were promoted by Eddie Hearn, he would compensate for their lowkey personalities. Warren has his strengths, but he is miles behind Hearn when it comes to social media engagement and turning talent into crossover stars.

 

I think Hamzah should sign with Matchroom, Eddie knows Hamzah and thinks highly of him too.. plus Eddie would promote Hamzah much better than Frank..

Look what Eddie done for Coner Ben ..

 

Stuck with him after questionable performances against Torres and Skeete too.

 

Sheeraz I like as a fighter his team and he himself are probably thinking I got paid way more for fights with way less jeopardy.

If the money men in the sport like Turki didn't even bother bidding the commercial value shows Warren put in a good bid for what it was worth 25% over the only other offer from Top Rank.

 

I can see this from both angles. The fighter has gotten used to being valued at a certain level and is now expected to fight his most dangerous opponent for much less? Logically, this makes little sense.

But.

Sheeraz wants to be the best and I doubt he is financially destitute. This could, would be, his prom night, his coming out fight, certainly for actual boxing fans if not 'casuals'. To be the best he needs to beat the best and if he does not want to be the best, he's only 'playing' at boxing and this ain't no game to 'play' at. He should grab the opprtunity to showcase his skills and build his 'brand' ensuring ever bigger pay days down the road. Logically, it makes sense to do so....

 

The Janibek fight is also one where there's a good chance he loses, and you want to be paid for that. I mean, why take less than you've been getting for run-of-the-mill fights when you know Zuffa's around the corner with lottery money?

 

Somewhat bizarrely, given their history, they'd potentially make a great team if they merged operations. Frank's better at the boxing side in my view, Eddie a natural at selling fights and fighters alike. Although I'd hate for it to happen because one of the great pleasures of British boxing over the past few decades has been the sight of Frank's paper thin mask of amiability slipping and a glimpse of what lies underneath, barely suppressed for the 2 minutes he needs to talk to some herbert on BT Sport before he goes back to feed the pigs.

I suspect his team are looking at this as one they'd sooner swerve. In that interview above Franks alludes to how carefully he'd managed him to the title shot and that Sheeraz had won the lottery in getting Begic as an opponent. He'd not be talking that way if Sheeraz was re=signing with QP. Whatever the home fighter advantages actually amount to maybe he thinks he won't be getting them. Whereas if his following is large enough they maybe think they can get another set of favourable opponents and a belt chance with a different promoter?

 

Agree totally with the above posters. Yes it is a fight he could lose. But without facing adversity and maybe even taking a loss here and there, he will never achieve greatness, and he will never know what's inside himself.

 

Pretty sure Hamzah would fight anybody, but the decision's likely taken out of his hands. And boxing isn't tennis or other sports – chasing greatness can come with a huge trade-off health-wise.

Edit: Plus one loss, and losing the zero, can really set you back to where you never get back.