Unbeaten middleweight contender Hamzah Sheeraz (19-0, 15 KOs) made easy work of veteran Liam Williams (25-5-1, 20 KOs), dropping him twice en route to a first-round on Saturday night at the CopperBox Arena in London,
The tall 6’3″ Sheerez, ranked #4 WBC, #5 WBO, and #11 IBF, dropped the 31-year-old Williams with a simple jab.
Sheeraz’s Deceptively Powerful Jab
Moments later, Sheerez nailed Williams with a right uppercut that put him down for a second time. In a follow-up flurry from Sheerez, Williams’ corner threw in the towel to have the fight stopped. Referee Mark Lyson halted it officially at 2:36 of the first round.
Interestingly, none of Sheerez’s punches, especially the jab, appeared to be that powerful. It appeared that Williams had no punch resistance whatsoever tonight, so whatever Sheerez threw, he couldn’t take it.
Next Step: Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams?
Sheerez could now be fighting Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams next, and that would be a tough one for him, seeing that the American has good power, speed, and mobility.
It would be a big step up in class for Sheerez, who has been fed fodder-level opposition his entire 19-fight professional career. Sheerez might not be ready to fight Williams, and it might be better if his promoter matched him against a lower-level top-15 contender instead of taking on Ammo and getting found out.
Frank Warren’s Strategy Key for Sheeraz
The 160-lb division is really weak right now, so Sheerez should be able to capture one of the belts, as long as he doesn’t tangle with IBF/WBO champion Janibek Alimkhanuly or WBA champ Erislandy Lara. Those guys have too much talent and experience for Sheerez.
Warren should focus on pairing Sheerez against WBC champion Jermall Charlo because he’s not the fighter he once was. By the time he makes his next defense, he’ll be older and ready to be beaten.
Potential Move to Super Middleweight?
Sheerez looked super middleweight tonight, as big as David Benavidez and David Morrell. It might be a good idea for Sheerez to move up to 168 and take on Morrell for his WBA title.
If he does move up, he should take on Diego Pacheco first before challenging for a world title. Morrell and Benavidez would obviously be too good for Sheerez, but if he fights at 168, he’ll need to face these guys at some point because he can’t wait them out, considering they’re both around the same age as him.
