EVERY few years a British fighter emerges with such exceptional talent that they have future world champion written all over them.
In my 60 years at ringside, I’ve seen John Conteh, Ken Buchanan, Ricky Hatton, Naseem Hamed, Barry McGuigan, Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank, Lennox Lewis, Joe Calzaghe, Amir Khan and Carl Froch progress from the novice stage to superstardom.
Besides obvious skill, there was an aura of invincibility that surrounded each and every one — coupled with a supreme self-belief in their ability.
It looks likely Hamzah Sheeraz, 24, will join that elite group of national heroes before the year is out.
A few years ago I said unbeaten middleweight Sheeraz — after just 15 fights — had the potential to fight for a world title.
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Carl Frampton, Ireland’s two-time world champion, went further by saying: “If this boy doesn’t become a world champion I will eat my hat.”
From what Sheeraz did at Stratford’s Copper Box two weeks ago, Carl will not need to plan what kind of gravy to pour over his cloth cap anytime soon.
In two minutes and 36 seconds, Sheeraz floored Liam Williams twice and forced his corner to throw in the towel.
The Welshman, a two-time world title contender, was expected to give Sheeraz his first real test.
Even though Williams is not as punch resistant as he used to be, it was only the second time he hadn’t heard the final bell in a 30-fight career. It was a remarkable statement of intent by Sheeraz.
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Standing 6ft 3in and built like a hairpin, Hamzah physically is a ringer for Tommy ‘Hitman’ Hearns — and, like Hearns, he generates freakish power in both hands.
Perhaps we should start calling him ‘Hitman Hamzah’ because his record is now 19-0 with 15 KOs.
Sheeraz never stops improving and that’s down to his decision three years ago to join the famous Ten Goose gym in California’s San Fernando Valley — run by highly- respected trainer Joe Goossen.
Hamzah spends three months there before a fight preparing under trainer Ricky Funez, a Goossen disciple. The sparring he gets is second to none — there’s always a bunch of hungry Latinos trying to knock him out, which does wonders to focus his mind.
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On Sheeraz, Funez said: “I’ve got a lot of faith in this kid, his work ethic is amazing and he’s very disciplined. I believe now he is ready to shine.”
Sheeraz is not in action again until June, when promoter Frank Warren plans to get him a world title eliminator against an opponent ranked in the division’s top ten.
Only then will we know if Sheeraz is the real deal and ready to challenge Kazakhstan’s Janibek Alimkhanuly for his WBO and IBF titles.
I’m confident that he is. But nagging at me is legendary baseball coach Yogi Berra’s profound remark: “It’s tough to make predictions — especially about the future.”
