Hamza Shiraz has opted out of a WBO-mandated clash against middleweight champion Janibak Aleem Khanoli. WBO president Gustave Olivieri has reported that 25-year-old Hamza has “withdrawn” from his mandatory fight against IBF/WBO champ Jean Beck.
It’s not a surprising move as Shiraz (21-0, 17 KOs) opted not to take on John Beck (16-0, 11 KOs) because he had little chance of success.
The way Janibek looked in his last two fights, dispatching Andrey Mikhaylovich and Vincenzo Gualtieri, it was pretty predictable that Shiraz would avoid this one like the plague. John Beck would be bad news for a limited slugger with a chin problem like Hamza, who some fans consider a taller version of Aamir Khan.
2016 Olympian Jennebeck is a special talent, considered the crème de la crème No. 1 fighter in the 160-lb division today. In contrast, Hamza has yet to cut his teeth in international competition and his experience is limited to second-tier opposition.
It would have ended badly for Shiraz, and its chances of commercial success in Britain would have ended forever.
Hamza’s recent win
– Tyler Denney
– Austin Williams
– Liam Williams
– Dmytro Mytrofanov
Adams is likely next for Hamza.
Shiraz will reportedly fight for the world title on February 22, and will likely be WBC champion Carlos Adams. Adams is seen as the weakest link among the three middleweight champions and will have a real chance of defeating Shiraz.
Adams can punch, so if he can get six rounds in there, he’ll knock Shiraz out and expose him as a fake.
The other middleweight champion, Erslandi Lara, WBA, is too experienced and talented for Hamza to beat him. It doesn’t matter that Lara is 41 years old. He is still too good for Hamza and will ruin his carefully managed career, such as it is. Hamza is rated highly by fans in the UK, but elsewhere, he is not well thought of. He looks limited.
The moment the World Boxing Organization ordered the Janibek Aleem Khanoli vs. Hamza Shiraz fight, it was predicted that it would never happen in a million years. Hamza doesn’t have that kind of talent, as we saw in his June 1 fight against Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams in Riyadh.
Williams badly injured Shiraz in that fight, and the only reason he won was because Imo didn’t continue to attack due to his lack of stamina. Hamza would have been finished in three rounds if it had been John Beck.
George Warren, promoter of Queensberry Promotions, should be advised. @sheeraz_hamzah shall withdraw compulsorily against a confirmed combatant. #WBO Middleweight Champion @qazaqstyle. Today’s purse bid has been cancelled. The committee will meet again to determine next steps. @KlimasBoxing
— Gustavo Olivieri, Esq (@olivierilove) November 18, 2024
