Hamzah Sheeraz Ready For ‘Dangerous’ Tyler Denny After Failed Talks With Chris Eubank
Middleweight contender Hamzah Sheeraz says he is preparing for a “dangerous” fight against European champion Tyler Denny next month having seen talks with Chris Eubank Jr stall.
Sheeraz (20-0-0 16 KO) is one of the brightest talents in British boxing and will aim to add the European title to his collection when he faces current title holder Denny (19-2-3 1 KO) on September 21 at Wembley Stadium in London, England.
Their bout will act as the co-main event to the IBF heavyweight world title bout between champion Daniel Dubois and former unified belt holder Anthony Joshua.
Sheeraz had initially been in talks to fight Eubank but the fighter from Essex said negotiating with his rival proved “awkward”. When it became clear the fight wasn’t going to happen, Sheeraz and his team pivoted to Denny, who agreed to the bout immediately after his impressive win over Felix Cash in June.
“Sign the contract – simple as that,” Sheeraz told Queensberry Promotions about dealing with Eubank. “Grab a pen and sign it right now. I haven’t really got much to say to him. It’s one of those; I’ll just have to punch him in his face. I’d love to share the ring with him and just get his name on my resume.”
On paper, Denny would appear to be the easier opponent, although the 33-year-old is in the form of his life. After struggling to reach beyond domestic level, Denny has defeated five unbeaten opponents in his last seven fights. Sheeraz, however, has no plans to be added to his rival’s record.
“He ain’t gonna do that,” Sheeraz, 25, said. “The last four or five opponents have all come to do that. It’s nothing new to me. At the same time, the position I’m in and the position Tyler’s in is what makes it a dangerous fight and a potential banana skin. I have to take it more seriously than I ever have in my other fights. Every fight now has to be 200 per cent focus. Just stay on it.”
The powerful and imposing Sheeraz enters the bout after two statement victories in 2024. He demolished Liam Williams, who took Eubank the distance, in the first round in February, before stopping the highly-rated Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams in the 11th round of their bout in June.
Sheeraz’s most recent bout was part of the Matchroom Boxing vs Queensberry Promotions 5-vs-5 event in Saudi Arabia, where the middleweight acted as Frank Warren’s team captain. Now on the verge of world titles, the British boxer has warned all challengers that he is still putting in the hours to improve.
“The position I’ve built myself into now, the guys coming up are just trying to get the win, beat ‘The Golden Kid, Hamzah Sheeraz’ and that’s it, we’ve got his spot,” he said. “They don’t realise ‘The Golden Kid, Hamzah Sheeraz’ has put hours and hours into this. Years; months. You name it. Ever since being an eight-year-old kid I keep banging on about it.
“It’s not just, ‘He’s been lucky; he’s got a good promoter who’s backed him from day dot’. No one knows about the hard days and the difficult days. That’s what keeps me grounded and makes me who I am and why I do what I do.”
