Sheeraz vs Williams Predictions: A middleweight pick ’em

Hamzah Sheeraz faces off against Austin Williams on Saturday, June 1 as part of the Queensberry vs Matchroom 5v5. The middleweight bout takes place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. DAZN PPV will screen the match-up.

Here are my Sheeraz vs Williams predictions ahead of this battle of unbeaten 160-pounders.

The 5v5 concept pitting the promotional houses of Queensberry and Matchroom against one another could easily have been a gimmick. The overriding conceit could have been used to sneak a few sub-par fights through on the premise they mattered. But credit to all involved, they have pulled together a very tasty five-bout series.

Sheeraz-Williams could be one of the sleeper-hits of the night. While Zhilei Zhang vs Deontay Wilder brings the stardust and Raymond Ford vs Nick Ball feels like a coronation, this fight has the air of a battle for boxing’s future. 

What seems abundantly clear is that one of these men will compete for a version of the world middleweight title in the near future. Sheeraz is ranked number one with the WBO and second with the WBC. 

The latter organisation has ‘Ammo’ Williams ranked third while the American is also fifth with the IBF and placed second by the WBA. The WBC have deemed this fight an eliminator to fight their champion, Carlos Adames. But if that doesn’t come off, the winner will be well-placed with at least one of the other bodies.

The winner will certainly deserve their shot at a world title. Whoever emerges with the victory, they will have beaten one of the most promising prospects in modern boxing. 

Sheeraz’s rise has come into sharp relief recently. After feasting on domestic names like Bradley Skeete and River Wilson-Bent, the 25-year-old has stepped up in a major way. First, he crushed Ukrainian Olympian Dmytro Mytrofanov in two rounds. For his next trick, Sheeraz bombed out former world title challenger Liam Williams in the very first round. 

It is clear that a more robust opponent is needed and that’s where ‘Ammo’ comes in. The American has compiled a fearsome 16-0 record with 11 knockouts. His standout win came against former Gennady Golovkin-opponent Steve Rolls. Williams has also fought Wilson-Bent, stopping the Coventry boxer in eight rounds. 

This fight makes so much sense because each of these men is the best boxer the other has ever fought. Sheeraz and ‘Ammo’ are risking their unbeaten records and lofty rankings, both of which they could have maintained by fighting weaker opponents. Steel sharpens steel and this high-risk scenario will see the winner graduate to world level. 

Sheeraz is 6-foot-3 and uses every advantage his frame provides. A sharp jab unlocks the door for his varied right-hand attacks, with straights, uppercuts and hooks all thrown with power. Lessons have been learned along the way, such as the brutal beating he put on Francisco Torres after the Argentine surprisingly knocked Sheeraz down. The ruthless stoppage of Williams showed a version of the fighter that is close to complete.

‘Ammo’ is a fluid southpaw with a low lead hand and a risk-reward style. He times his bursts and lands to head and body while relying on head movement to get out of the range of counters. Against the level of opponent Williams has been fighting, it has been very effective.

But against a fighter with size advantages and an explosive style of his own, how effective will Williams’ raids be? We have seen that Sheeraz can be caught with a well-timed counter. But Williams will need to get his attacks spot-on if he is to resist eating an educated right hand in return.

I give the edge to Sheeraz. His range of punches, power and size make him the favourite here. I can see it being a close fight, with a knockdown perhaps swaying it one way or the other. But ultimately I feel Sheeraz has the advantage in most metrics and will take home a decision win. If you’d like to back my selection, you can do so at 3/1.

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