Hamzah Sheeraz fails to dazzle against game Simon Zachenhuber

After two consecutive fast and furious wins, Hamzah Sheeraz was forced to go the distance against unheralded Simon Zachenhuber.  

Sheeraz, who won a majority decision, might be one of the best 168-pounders in the world as the WBO champion but, having blasted out Alem Begic in two rounds in May he scored a somewhat tiresome decision victory over another German, Simon Zachenhuber, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

It was scored 114-114 with Sheeraz winning on two cards by 115-113 and 116-112.

Sheeraz is still only 27 but since his controversial draw with Carlos Adames in February 2025 he’s notched an easy win over Edgar Berlanga and had the last two nondescript fights.

If he wants to box the winner of October’s fight between Canelo Alvarez and Christian Mbilli, he could do with a more serious test to prepare than Zachenhuber or Begic.

Sheeraz took a look at what was in front of him in the first round but was more purposeful in the second, working the body and mixing in short hooks and uppercuts with his rangier blows.

Zachenhuber was plucky but the levels were evident and the WBO beltholder landed a left hook to the body near the bell that seemed to take the challenger’s breath away.

Sheeraz clubbed Zachenhuber with a right hand with a minute left in the third and it was clear Zachenhuber didn’t have the firepower to keep Sheeraz at bay for long. Sheeraz lanced his man with a similar lengthy right near the end of the fourth but Sheeraz was cruising. Had he been inclined, he probably could have wrapped things up earlier but Zachenhuber came out for the fifth although he was on the receiving end through the middle rounds and not in danger of winning the contest.

Sheeraz was either boxing within himself or disappointing. Either way, the fight was not entertaining other than it being surprising that Zachenhuber was still in there pitching.

Perhaps Sheeraz was aware of how much painful filler time there would be before the main event, Anthony Joshua versus Kristian Prenga, had he dispatched Zachenhuber in a timely manner.

During the fight, trainer Andy Lee told Sheeraz he wasn’t going to wipe Zachenhuber out with one shot and Sheeraz explained that Zachenhuber was soaking up everything he was sending his way.

You had to give the German credit as he shipped several shots in the ninth but the fight remained the same through the championship rounds although there was a chorus of whistles from the crowd through the bout’s final minute.

Zachenhuber, a southpaw from Erding in Germany, is now 29-2 (18 KOs), and his previous loss came to Pawel August, who lost every round against Jacob Bank on the undercard in his last fight.

Sheeraz is 24-0-1 (19 KOs) and at least he’s active. The Begic win was just two months ago. Sheeraz said afterwards he could "make a million excuses" about his performance and said he needed a threat in front of him.