Sheeraz vs Zachenhuber Predictions: WBO champion Hamzah should walk this

WBO super middleweight champion Hamzah Sheeraz defends his title for the first time as he takes on 29-1 German Simon Zachenhuber (6pm, DAZN PPV & Ultimate). The bout takes place at Jeddah Stadium in Saudi Arabia, on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s heavyweight contest with Kristian Prenga. 

Read on for my full Sheeraz vs Zachenhuber predictions.

Sheeraz vs Zachenhuber Odds

Sheeraz is actually more fancied than AJ in the main event, priced at 1/40 to Joshua’s 1/33 at press time. Zachenhuber is 12/1 to snatch the title while the draw is 22/1.

Sheeraz vs Zachenhuber Fight Preview

Long-tipped for superstardom, Sheeraz made good on his promise last time out by clinching the WBO super middleweight title vacated by Terence Crawford. In truth, a too-easy battering of unbeaten German Alem Begic was not the 24-year-old’s breakout display.

That came in the fight before his title win, where Sheeraz knocked out former unified title challenger Edgar Berlanga. The brash New Yorker had only lost to Saul Canelo Alvarez via unanimous decision. But Hamzah hammered the world-ranked American in five bone-rattling rounds. 

It was a virtuoso display that banished memories of the sole blemish on Sheeraz’s record; a split draw with WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames. On that night, Sheeraz looked baffled as his opponent old-manned his way to a deserved title retention. You could argue that the Brit didn’t deserve the draw, with Adames appearing to the eyes of many to have clearly out-boxed Sheeraz.

But Hamzah has regrouped superbly and is fighting at 168lbs, a weight that hangs more naturally on his 6’3 frame. The future looks increasingly bright for the WBO super middleweight champion. 

Zachenhuber is very much a sideways step from the unproven Begic, Another German opponent with a record that looks better numerically, at 29-1, than it does if you dig into it. The most striking thing is that his defeat, in a six-rounder against Pawel August, only came in April. A four-round retirement win over 10-2 jobber Armin Ajrulai last month seems a curious victory to hang a title tilt on. 

But the short lead-in time for both fighters perhaps betrays a bout that has not always been part of the plan. What this outing offers is a chance to showcase Sheeraz further on a card likely to be highly-watched.

In that case, the credential-lacking opposition makes sense. The aim is clearly for Sheeraz to clean out Zachenhuber in short order. With that in mind, the German underdog is the perfect opponent.

Sheeraz vs Zachenhuber Full Card

Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga

Hamzah Sheeraz vs Simon Zachenhuber

Josh Kelly vs Caoimhin Agyarko

Reito Tsutsumi vs Alvino Herrera Meza

Oleksandr Khyzhniak vs Lenny Patrach

Jacob Bank vs Pawel August

Mikie Tallon vs Orlando Pino

Nishant Dev vs Cesar Diaz

Ziyad Almaayouf vs Frank Lucian Mango

Mohammed Alakel vs Lydon Chircop

Sultan Almohammed vs Efren Besalduch

Omar Hikal vs Brian Castellano

Mohamed Mabrouk Yehya vs Bryan Zapata

Sheeraz vs Zachenhuber Prediction

Paulinus Ndjolonimu had plenty of success against Zachenhuber by walking him down. The German nicked that on a majority decision, but his over-reliance on a porous shell defence and his misguided timing when staying too long in the pocket will be catnip to Sheeraz.

I expect the champion to walk him down using that long-lever jab. Connect with a few of those and Hamzah will look to bring the right hand into play. It’s good night once those hooks and straights start thudding in. Sheeraz will wrap this up in rounds 1-3 in my mind, which you can back at a boosted 11/8.

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