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ISLAMABAD: British-Pakistani boxer Hamzah Sheeraz, who defeated Austin Williams from the US state of Wisconsin in a bout in Riyadh this month, has hailed the capital city of Saudi Arabia as the future hub of global sports.
Sheeraz defeated Williams on June 1 in a highly anticipated middleweight clash at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh as part of the Queensberry vs Matchroom: 5vs5 event.
The 25-year-old, who intends to compete again in the Saudi capital later his year, says it was an “amazing” experience to fight in Riyadh, though he competed for the first time in the Kingdom.
“[Saudi Arabia has] a massive, huge impact and not just only on boxing. We’re talking all sports here across the board. We’re talking soccer. We’re talking snooker. We’re talking obviously boxing. We’re talking UFC [Ultimate Fighting Championship],” he told Arab News in an exclusive interview.
“Riyadh is where the future is in terms of sports. I see for the next, however, for the foreseeable future, Riyadh is where it’s all happening.”
Sheeraz was born in Ilford, London into a family of athletes. His father hails from Matore village in Kahuta tehsil of Pakistan’s Punjab province. Sheeraz’s father was a cricketer who played for Gloucestershire, while his paternal grandfather and uncle were both boxers. Sheeraz’s uncle also won ten national amateur titles for Slough and Pinewood Star clubs in the UK, according to the 25-year-old.
He was formally introduced to boxing at the age of 8 by his uncle and had his first bout at 12, becoming a three-time finalist at the national junior championships in the UK, before turning into a professional fighter.
In 2017, he signed up with Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions as a professional boxer. Sheeraz debuted in September of the same year and defeated Duane Green in technical knockout in the second round on the undercard of the Billy Joe Saunders–Willie Monroe Jr. fight at the Copper Box Arena in London. Standing at 6 feet 3 inches, Sheeraz has been undefeated and boasts a 20-0 record.
He said it was a great first experience competing before the “vibrant crowd” in Riyadh, adding that it was valuable to face that level of competitiveness and to be among the elite where even a 1 percent difference can be crucial.
“The people around the world can really see that Riyadh and the whole Riyadh Season is really portraying the pinnacle of sports and showing that this is the best level it can get to,” the 25-year-old said. “So, it’s always an honor to be a part of that and to be part of something where the competition is so high, but the reward is so much higher.”
Asked about his next fight, Sheeraz said he intended to compete again during the Riyadh Season in September. “Hopefully, we are looking at September but nothing has been confirmed yet. Hopefully, it’ll be another Riyadh Season event,” he added.
The annual Riyadh Season festival is part of the Saudi Seasons initiative to promote tourism and national heritage of the Kingdom, according to Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA). The festival is attended by millions of people each year to enjoy exciting activities and events.
In honor of his exceptional performance in Saudi Arabia, Sheeraz said, Turki bin Abdul Mohsen Al-Shaikh, chairman of the GEA, had signed him as an “Ambassador of Riyadh Season,” alongside two other boxers Terence Crawford and Jared Anderson.
“I am an ambassador for Riyadh Season now and it is an absolute honor,” he told Arab News. “I can’t thank the people involved, His Excellency [Turki bin Abdul Mohsen Al-Shaikh] enough for choosing me and for allowing me to be someone who represents not just them, but who represents them on such a big, big worldwide level.”
Sheeraz garnered global fame in 2022, when he was recognized by the prestigious Boxing Writers’ Club as the ‘Young Boxer of the Year’. A number of former world champions have been the recipient of the award presented at the Savoy Hotel on London’s Embankment.
In March 2022, he defeated Jez Smith for the WBC International Silver Middleweight Title at the OVO Arena, Wembley. Previously, he defended the WBO European Champion title in super welterweight category on four occasions.
About boxing in Pakistan, Sheeraz said Pakistan had many great fighters, but the problem was that they did not have a platform and financial backing to advance their careers.
“Hopefully, [I will] bring these young superstars to Riyadh, bring them to Riyadh to perform,” he said, adding that he had a plan to build gyms in the country of his origin to help natural talent come through without any worries.
“Definitely, I would love to come back there,” he said, when asked whether he would like to compete in Pakistan. “I would [also] love to do tours, go to universities, give speeches, get in touch with the youth over there to steer them in the right direction and show them there are opportunities out there that they wouldn’t even dream of.”