By Declan Taylor
HAMZAH SHEERAZ will down instruments for the holy month of Ramadan earlier than chasing summer season fights on three fronts.
The 24-year-old puncher took out Liam Williams inside a spherical on the Copper Field Area on Saturday evening so as to add to his rising repute as one in every of world boxing’s most promising abilities.
Instantly consideration turned to what could be subsequent however religious Muslim Sheeraz won’t practice throughout Ramadan which runs from March 10 to April 9 earlier than getting again into his coaching camp in Los Angeles.
“I’ll fly again the day after,” he mentioned. “I’ll have Eid after which the day after I’ll be straight on a flight again out to LA. I’ve no accidents and it wasn’t an extended evening in opposition to Williams.”
Now Sheeraz has opened up on the three names that his subsequent combat could possibly be in opposition to as he plots a path in direction of the highest finish of the middleweight division.
He is likely one of the names who might line up for Queensberry Promotions within the 5 vs 5 event with Matchroom, which takes place on June 1 in Saudi Arabia on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev in opposition to Dmitrii Bivol.
It has been instructed that Sheeraz might tackle Matchroom’s 16-0 (11) southpaw Ammo Williams, who has been beforehand linked with a combat in opposition to Sheeraz’s compatriot Felix Money though that has by no means materialised
Of Williams, Sheeraz mentioned: “Hopefully I can get out on that Saudi card – straight on that undercard. That traces me up for June. Amo Williams is being linked and it’d be an enormous combat, I believe.
“It’s a dream of mine – a latest dream of mine. Particularly all the things being arrange there and being a muslim as effectively. It solely is smart, and it’d be nice to combat on the market – particularly in entrance of the boxing royalty as effectively.”
Williams would signify an enormous alternative for Sheeraz to breakout, notably in America however his promoter Frank Warren instructed a fair greater identify for his subsequent combat within the type of Chris Eubank Jr.
Eubank Jr had been anticipated to face Conor Benn early this yr however he’s with out an opponent after these talks broke down and Warren is hoping to tempt the Brighton man into an unlikely all-British conflict with Sheeraz.
However the 6ft 3in Ilford man, 10 years Eubank’s junior and with little to supply by way of risk-reward for the older fighter, is aware of it could want massive cash to ensure that that combat to happen.
“I simply want to begin looking these guys down,” mentioned Sheeraz when requested about Eubank Jr.
“Even when he simply begins to take discover now, that’s higher than nothing. I do know he’s chasing cash now. There’s greater cash fights on the market for him, but when he’s received a determine, I’m certain Frank can type one thing out.”
One other extra doubtless home conflict nonetheless, is with the present British middleweight champion Nathan Heaney, if he can efficiently defend his title for the primary time when he takes on Brad Pauls in Birmingham on March 16.
Stoke favorite Heaney is likely one of the finest supported boxers within the nation and Boxing Information understands he has already shifted upwards of 1,600 tickets for that present. Given his potential to attract a crowd, Heaney is hoping to at some point safe a combat at Stoke Metropolis’s Bet365 Stadium and Sheeraz would haven’t any drawback being within the away nook.
He mentioned: “The Nathan Heaney combat is a really, very reasonable combat as effectively. That’s a combat I’d like to have.
“I’d even go to Stoke on a chilly, moist Tuesday evening if I needed to. I’d like to. It will be an honour. I do know it could be a really hostile surroundings however I believe it could add that little bit of gas to my hearth.
“I’ve already executed it in Poland, boxing Dymtro Mytrofanov, particularly with all of the Ukrainians there.
“However for now I’m simply wanting ahead to getting again in there once more whoever it’s. I at all times mentioned if I deal with Liam Williams doorways and avenues shall be open, there are a great deal of routes I can select. It’s only a matter of which one I take.”
