Boxing

Carlos Adames vs. Hamzah Sheeraz Results: Adames Retains Title In Controversial Draw

Carlos Adames remains the WBC middleweight champion with a disputed draw over Hamzah Sheeraz.

Nathaniel Marrero

Carlos Adames lands a straight right hand on Terrell Gausha.
Carlos Adames lands a straight right hand on Terrell Gausha. / IMAGO/ZUMA Press Wire

Carlos Adames retained his WBC middleweight championship with a disputed split-draw over Hamzah Sheeraz.

The three judges scored the bout 118-110 for Adames, 115-114 for Sheeraz, and 114-114 on Saturday on "The Last Crescendo" at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The draw marked the first time Sheeraz didn't win a fight in his professional career, though one could make a strong case that it should have been his first loss.

Sheeraz had won 15 straight fights inside the distance, while Adames was on a six-fight win streak.

Sheeraz (21-0-1, 17 KOs) got off to a good start behind his jab in the first three rounds, while Adames was on his front foot but didn't let his hands go. Adames began to pick up the pressure and volume and found his way inside Sheeraz's range. Sheeraz struggled to let his hands go for much of the fight and his shot at the first title of his career was slipping through his grasp.

Adames' pressure and work rate seemingly allowed him to seize control of the fight through the 10th round. Sheeraz began to show a sense of urgency in the 11th and 12th rounds and landed his biggest shots of the fight, though, Adames remained on the front foot and was pushing Sheeraz back.

Alas, Sheeraz will have an opportunity to grow from his first title shot, while Adames would be well within his right to feel that he was on the wrong end of what should have been the second defense of his belt.

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Nathaniel Marrero
NATHANIEL MARRERO

Nathaniel Marrero is a writer for the Boxing, Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Ravens On SI sites. He's also written for the Orlando Sentinel and MLB.com, and was a part of UCF's sports show, Hitting The Field. He attended UCF and graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism in 2023. Twitter/X: Nate_Marrero