Simon Zachenhuber will fight for the super middleweight world title on Saturday (July 25). The “Matador” from Erding will take on WBO champion Hamzah Sheeraz in what is his biggest title fight to date.
Simon Zachenhuber successfully completed his final sparring sessions, then left for Saudi Arabia a few days ago. There, at the “Jeddah Sperdome” in the city of the same name (Jeddah), the German super middleweight will face WBO world champion Hamzah Sheeraz on Saturday, July 25. The bout will serve as the co-main event on the Joshua vs. Prenga fight card and is likely to bring the “Matador” from Erding the most attention of his boxing career to date.
“Know his weaknesses, too”
“When I think about it, it’s a dream come true that we’re boxing for the world title,” Zachenhuber said in an interview with DAZN. Fighting for a world title has always been what he wanted. And now he wants more: “You also want to win the fight.” He and his trainer, Conny Mittermeier, know their own strengths inside and out, as well as Sheeraz’s—“but also his weaknesses. That’s why we think we have a good chance and are convinced that we can win the fight.”
Zachenhuber (29-1-0, 18 KOs), who used to kickbox, took his professional boxing career one step at a time. First, he became German champion, then junior world champion. This was followed by European championships with various organizations. “Since 2023, I’ve been ranked in the top 10 or top 15 of the world rankings by the major boxing organizations, including the WBO,” explains the former contestant on the RTL show “Let’s Dance.” The WBO currently ranks him seventh.
Defeat Eradicated
So now it’s time for the world title showdown against Hamzah Sheeraz (live on DAZN starting at 3:00 p.m.). The British fighter (23-0-1, 19 KOs), who is considered a rising star and enters the fight against Zachenhuber as the favorite, won the previously vacant WBO title in May of this year. A few weeks earlier, the 29-year-old German suffered the first loss of his career, albeit under difficult circumstances. On the Fury undercard, Zachenhuber lost a six-round bout on points to Pawel August at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. “That one unfortunately didn’t go my way,” he recalls. “But for me, the key was to get back in the ring right away, put that loss behind me, move on, and keep going.”
And that’s exactly what happened: On June 27, the “Matador” stepped into the ring in Cologne and defeated Armin Ajrulai by submission in the fourth round. Just a few days earlier, his team had already accepted the world championship bout against Sheeraz. But instead of canceling the fight with Ajrulai to play it safe, Zachenhuber (“I was confident enough”) took on the challenge and handled it with ease.
“I’m going to go all out.”
“He’s not the number one and world champion for nothing,” says Deutsche, who has also been managed by Goldstar Promotions (Spencer Brown) since this year, about his next opponent. But with all due respect to Sheeraz, Zachenhuber promises: “I’ll give it my all, put my heart on the line, and not hold back. I’ll go on the offensive, go full throttle, and do everything I can to win the fight.” Especially since the fighter from Erding boxes from a right-handed stance, which could pose a challenge for the reigning champion. “We’re embracing the underdog role,” says Simon Zachenhuber confidently. “And then it’s just: Let’s go!”
Text: Frank Schwantes