By: Sean Crose
WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames, 24-1, defended his title belt on Saturday against the 21-0 Hamzah Sheeraz in Saudi Arabia. The fight was scheduled for 12 championship rounds. The first was something of a feeling out process for each fighter, as both men were strategically patient. The taller Sheeraz was able to keep his man at bay in the second. Adames kept trying to get inside his man in the third. Sheeraz was still doing a good job maintaining range on his man in the fourth.
By the fifth it was worth wondering how long Sheeraz could consistently keep his distance from Adames, for the fight was scheduled for a full 12 rounds. Adames was finally able to get in on his man in the sixth. Was Sheeraz slowing down, or was he simply taking the round off? Adames kept up the pressure in the seventh. Adames caught his man in the eighth. Sheeraz landed well in kind. He then returned to moving about defensively.
Things remained close in the ninth. With the championship rounds coming up, it still could have been anybody’s fight. The tenth was interesting, as Sheeraz was again able to keep Adamas at range. Sheeraz fought in close in the eleventh. It may not have been a thrilling match, but it was definitely a high level one. These were professionals plying their trade and it was fascinating to see the fight unfold. The twelfth and final round saw a rather tempered performance from Sheeraz, which might not have worked to his benefit.
After all was said and done, the bout was ruled a split draw via the judges by scores of 115-114, 118-110, and 114-114.
* Correction: we had previously and mistakenly written that Adames had won via decision. That error has been corrected.