Safe Route To Canelo? Fans See Hamzah Sheeraz vs. Simon Zachenhuber Fight as Protection

Fans question the WBO challenger after Pawel August beat him before landing a non-title undercard bout

Hamzah Sheeraz’s first WBO super middleweight title defense has come under fire after his team selected Simon Zachenhuber for the July 25 card in Jeddah. Zachenhuber lost to Pawel August before one recovery win, while August will box without a title at stake on the same bill.

The official announcement of the title fight, set for the Anthony Joshua vs. Kristian Prenga undercard in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, met with immediate fierce criticism across social media. Fans quickly took to X to question why Sheeraz is taking on such a light assignment for his first defense rather than testing himself against a proven contender, with many labeling Zachenhuber a soft option.

The backlash largely focuses on Zachenhuber’s credentials. While the German bounced back from his upset defeat against Pawel August by stopping Armin Ajrulai on June 27, fans aren’t buying that a quick recovery victory validates a world title shot. To make things more bizarre, August is booked on this exact same July 25 card against Jacob Bank, meaning the man who actually won the head-to-head meeting is stuck in a non-title bout while the loser gets a crack at the belt.

The criticism worsened because Canelo Alvarez previously told Sheeraz to fight IBF champion Osleys Iglesias before calling him out. Sheeraz rejected that advice, making it clear he wouldn’t let the Mexican superstar dictate his path.

“I respect him [Canelo], but I don’t respect him to a point where he tells me who to fight before I can fight him,” Sheeraz told talkSPORT Boxing. “If the fight doesn’t happen, I won’t be bothered to be fair. I won’t be bothered at all. But if it does happen, it’s a bonus for me.”

That defiant attitude is fueling the skepticism around this matchup. Fans point out that if Sheeraz is confident enough to dismiss Canelo’s terms, he should back it up by taking on a dangerous threat like Iglesias rather than defending his belt against a challenger like Zachenhuber, who has no notable wins.

Many boxing fans view this matchup as a calculated move to keep Sheeraz undefeated and protect his status as a future cash-cow opponent for Canelo Alvarez. Since the British champion has been actively calling out Canelo, risking his flawless record against a dangerous contender in his first defense makes little business sense when a massive payday is on the line.

The backlash highlights the shallow depth of the current 168-pound landscape. Outside of Canelo Alvarez and a few top-tier names like Christian Mbilli, Jaime Munguia, and Edgar Berlanga, the super middleweight division drops off significantly. This lack of elite depth makes it easy for contenders with thin records to find themselves ranked in the sanctioning body’s top 10.

Sheeraz now has a chance to prove the critics wrong. A dominant performance could quiet some of the criticism, but many fans already view his first title defense as a carefully managed step toward a much bigger payday against Canelo rather than the toughest fight available.

WBO president Gustavo Olivieri responded directly on X, defending the organization’s position on Sheeraz facing Zachenhuber in a title defense:

Sir, Sheeraz is entitled to discharge a voluntary defense according to WBO Rules. Team Sheeraz SELECTED Zachenhuber, who currently holds a pro record of 29-1-0 (18 KO’s). Furthermore, the latter satisfies the basic criteria for world-rating consideration. See, the ABC Criteria… https://t.co/4fRatoKlIG

— Gustavo Olivieri, Esq. (@OlivieriLaw) July 13, 2026

Olivieri’s explanation did little to satisfy critics, many of whom argued that meeting the minimum requirements for a world ranking isn’t the same as deserving a title shot.