Briton Sheeraz's bid for world title ends in controversial draw

Hamzah Sheeraz's satellite rubric situation ended successful disappointment but the Briton was fortunate to assertion a gully against WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames successful Saudi Arabia.

A cautious Sheeraz – who was connected a 15-fight knockout streak – ne'er truly recovered his bushed and seemed reluctant to fto his hands go.

Adames produced the cleaner and much varied work, the measurement of punches and fluidity. The Dominican, 30, retained his loop but tin consciousness unlucky with a split-decision draw.

The 3 judges successful Riyadh scored it 118-110 to Adames, 115-114 to Sheeraz and 114-114.

With swelling nether his close oculus and showing his manus to promoter Frank Warren, Sheeraz chopped a frustrated and deflated fig astatine the last bell.

The 25-year-old was blameworthy of overthinking, being excessively hesitant and possibly overawed by the occasion.

Sheeraz was fortunate to stay undefeated arsenic his grounds extended to 21 wins and 1 draw.

He told Sky Sports afterwards: "I'm an overachiever. I'm precise blessed but we'll spell backmost to the drafting committee and hole those errors.

"No excuses, I've got a manus wounded but that's got thing to bash with the result of the fight."

As challenger, Ilford's Sheeraz made an understated ringing locomotion first, keeping his eyes firmly connected his rival arsenic some boxers were introduced to the crowd.

Adames was successful assured temper passim combat week, describing the Briton arsenic hype and questioning the prime of his erstwhile opponents, portion not affected by the jeers which greeted him.

The brace sized each different up successful the opening rounds and the champion crouched down, bobbed and weaved his mode astir the ring, targeting 6ft 3in Sheeraz's body.

"You're going to go satellite champion tonight, baby," trainer Ricky Funez told Sheeraz.

The Londoner - who trains retired successful Los Angeles - upped the tempo successful the 4th arsenic helium doubled up his piston-like jab and followed it up with a assemblage changeable and a chopping right.

But Adames hunted Sheeraz down and landed cleanable shots to triumph the sixth and past made the challenger wince erstwhile helium connected with a thunderous overhand close successful the eighth.

Promoter Frank Warren seethed arsenic helium walked implicit to Sheeraz's country astatine the extremity of circular 9 and yelled astatine his combatant to propulsion the uppercut.

A thudding close – Sheeraz's champion changeable of the combat – did not onshore until the 11th and his country changed their tune earlier the last round. "You person to sound him retired to win," they told him.

It was Adames, though, who ended the combat connected apical and looked to person defended his rubric with an assured display.

Earlier this week, Sheeraz had talked up his dreams to go a three-weight satellite champion and welcomed a contention with Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez adjacent year.

Those ambitions, for now, look a satellite away.

Another Briton besides saw his dreams dashed arsenic American Shakur Stevenson stopped Josh Padley successful the ninth circular to marque a stylish defence of his WBC lightweight title.

Part-time electrician Padley accepted a precocious call-up to combat the 27-year-old connected Wednesday aft archetypal hostile Floyd Schofield Jr pulled out.

It was a valiant effort but the gulf successful people was wide from the outset.

The undefeated Stevenson had stopped conscionable 10 of his erstwhile 22 opponents, but what the New Jersey combatant lacks successful knockout powerfulness helium makes up with speedy hands, combinations and sharpness.

A perplexed Stevenson looked astatine Padley's country erstwhile they got overly excited by a changeable which astir landed successful the third. Moments later, the Doncaster fighter's legs buckled by a coagulated close from the three-weight satellite champion.

Stevenson dropped his 29-year-old hostile with a bully assemblage changeable successful the ninth.

The courageous Padley fought on, adjacent bringing a grin from Stevenson erstwhile unleashing his ain flurry of punches, but the penning was connected the wall.

He deed the canvas doubly much successful the circular earlier the combat was halted arsenic his country threw successful the towel.

Light-heavyweight Callum Smith kept his hopes of becoming a two-time satellite champion live by inflicting a archetypal vocation decision connected chap Briton Joshua Buatsi with a unanimous points determination win.

Both men enjoyed occurrence successful a high-level back-and-forth brushwood - 1 which could person headlined a UK arena.

Liverpudlian Smith targeted Buatsi's assemblage aboriginal and wounded the Olympian with a hook successful the sixth. But Buatsi came backmost strongly, utilizing his jab good and landing powerfulness punches of his ain arsenic erstwhile super-middleweight satellite champion Smith, bloodied by a chopped to his eye, tired.

The 34-year-old Smith was awarded the determination with scores of 115-113, 116-112 and a contentious 119-110 to go the WBO 'interim' champion. Londoner Buatsi, 31, was defeated his 20th pro fight.

"I was the underdog contiguous and it got my backmost up a small spot that [people said] I'm finished," said Smith.

"I consciousness similar I'm bully capable to beryllium a two-weight satellite champion."