Tyler Denny ‘Ready For Chance At The Big Time’ Against Hamzah Sheeraz
European middleweight champion Tyler Denny says he is ready to shock the world when he faces Hamzah Sheeraz later this month and insists he won’t be overawed by the occasion.
Denny (19-2-3 1 KO) is set for the biggest fight of his career when he risks his European title against the highly-touted Sheeraz (20-0-0 16 KO) on September 21 at Wembley Stadium in London, England. Their bout will be the co-main event to the massive all-British heavyweight showdown between IBF champion Daniel Dubois and former unified title holder Anthony Joshua.
Denny may enter the bout as the champion, but he will also be a massive underdog. That said, the 33-year-old southpaw is full of confidence and is displaying the best form of his career. On a six-fight win streak, Denny stunned Matteo Signani in November 2023 to claim the European belt before upsetting the odds once again to defeat Felix Cash in June in his first title defense.
“When I got the opportunity to fight him I couldn’t say yes quick enough. I was buzzing, this is my time now and I’m going to show everyone what I’m about,” Denny told Sky Sports. “I want to show people why I’m the champion and to show why I want to move on to world level.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity but I got it on merit, for beating the people that I’ve beat and I know that and that’s what gives me my confidence.”
Denny has had to take the hard road to get to this stage of his career. A former plumber who had to balance the day job with boxing, the Midlands fighter navigated his way through the lower levels of British boxing and even had one fight in a parking lot. Now he is less than two weeks away from fighting inside England’s national soccer stadium in front of more than 90,000 fans.
“It was that unrealistic [fighting at Wembley] that I never even thought it could happen. So that’s why it’s going to be even better when I win,” Denny said. “I put that much pressure on myself to win because I hate losing. It’s not so much about the occasion. I hate losing, I’m the one who has to deal with that afterwards. I’m refusing to let that happen again.
“I’ve had enough toilets and bathrooms, that’s enough for me,” Denny added. “I know where I stand. I know I wasn’t first pick for this fight. But I don’t care either. Life, and especially in boxing, sometimes you don’t get a second chance. This is my chance now for the big time. And I’m ready.”
For all his confidence, Denny is aware that he will be in the toughest fight of his career. Sheeraz, the top-ranked middleweight by both the WBO and WBC, is viewed as a future world champion and enters the bout following an impressive 2024 so far.
He began the year by destroying former world title challenger Liam Williams inside one round in February – the same Williams who took Chris Eubank Jr the distance – before stopping fellow contender Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams in June as part of the 5-vs-5 event in Saudi Arabia.
“I don’t think Hamzah planned to fight me,” Denny said. “He knows he’s going to be in for a hard fight. We both know what we’re going to be in for.”
