The Copper Box Arena in London is the setting for the latest Frank Warren promoted card, and hot prospect Hamzah Sheeraz appears in the main event, taking on Francisco Emmanuel Torres for the vacant WBC Silver middleweight title over a scheduled ten rounds.
BT Sport televise Sheeraz vs Torres live in the UK.
Sheeraz (15-0, 11 KOs) has made eye-catching progress after turning professional in 2017, and the 23-year-old is looking to now climb the world rankings.
The Slough native’s only real acid test came in December last year, where Bradley Skeete looked on course for victory, but was dropped in the eighth, with Sheeraz lucky not to be disqualified after reigning blows down on his opponent while he was down.
Sheeraz would finish the job in the following round. He returned in more impressive fashion last time out, moving up to middleweight to claim the vacant WBC International Silver belt with a second round knockout of Jez Smith back in March.
He now faces Argentina’s Torres (17-3-1, 5 KOs), who is not a noted puncher, but is coming off a decent draw with Jose Benavidez Jr in his most recent fight.
Benavidez lost his previous fight to Terence Crawford via last round stoppage when well behind. Torres is unbeaten in his last ten.
Prediction: Sheeraz is a concussive puncher, and will look to bank another early win here. Torres may hang around until after halfway, but I don’t see him hearing the final bell in what should be a Sheeraz stoppage win.
Clarke-Heffron battle for British & Commonwealth crowns
There is a tasty looking clash that heads the undercard, with a trio of titles up for grabs.
Lennox Clarke puts his British and Commonwealth super middleweight titles on the line, and looks to add the vacant IBF International belt, when he takes on two-time former British title challenger at middleweight, Mark Heffron.
Clarke (20-1-1, 8 KOs) scored one of the upsets of 2021 when he halted Willy Hutchinson in five rounds to take the vacant belts, and prior to that, he pushed Lerrone Richards before losing a split decision in 2019.
The performance of his career!
Lennox Clarke with a huge shock as he stops Willy Hutchinson in the fifth round. When he got his opportunity he took it 👏 pic.twitter.com/gFs6Is6uaF
— Boxing on BT Sport 🥊 (@BTSportBoxing) March 27, 2021
Heffron (27-2-1, 21 KOs) has lost early in challenges for the vacant Lonsdale Belt against Liam Williams (TKO10) in 2018, and to Denzel Bentley (RTD4) last year.
The Oldham man has moved up in weight, and recorded two low-key stoppage wins.
Prediction: The pick is for Clarke to retain on the scorecards.
Ball returns
Nick Ball (15-0, 8 KOs) was superb in halting Isaac Lowe to take the WBC Silver featherweight title at Wembley Stadium in April, and the Liverpudlian should retain, but may need all twelve rounds to see off Namibia’s Nathanael Kakololo (14-3-1, 6 KOs), who has never been stopped.
McCann meets Beech Jr
Dennis McCann (12-0, 6 KOs) moves up to featherweight, and can take the vacant WBC International Silver belt with a points win over James Beech Jr (14-2, 2 KOs), who lost to Brad Foster in a British and Commonwealth super bantamweight title bid back in 2020.
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Remaining Undercard
In eight round action, Ryan Garner (11-0, 6 KOs) can win early in his featherweight contest with Christian Lopez Flores (13-18-2, 11 KOs), and at super lightweight, Pierce O’Leary (9-0, 5 KOs) can do the same against Robin Zamora (17-14, 8 KOs).
Super featherweight Masood Abdullah (4-0, 4 KOs) can continue his knockout streak against Bulgaria’s Tinko Banabakov (3-0).
Six rounders see Karol Itauma (7-0, 5 KOs) in action, and he can take a points win at light heavyweight over Michal Gazdik (6-23-1, 4 KOs).
Umar Khan (3-0) can also win on the cards against Engel Gomez (8-12-1, 4 KOs) at featherweight, and Sonny Liston Ali (3-0) can do the same in his super lightweight encounter with Chris Adaway (10-72-4, 1 KO).
The final six rounder comes at welterweight, where Khalid Ali (2-0, 1 KO) should prevail on the scorecards against Des Newton (8-24, 2 KOs).
The sole four rounder is at welterweight, where Sean Noakes (1-0) should come through on points against MJ Hall (2-84-2).
