Carlos Adames is looking around and asking one question.

Where’s the respect?

The general consensus surrounding his upcoming showdown against Hamzah Sheeraz this weekend is that he’ll lose his WBC middleweight title. By and large, he doesn't have an issue with anyone's opinion, even if he vehemently disagrees with it.

The 25-year-old Sheeraz is freakishly tall for the weight. Naturally, avoiding punches from someone with that sort of length can be problematic. However, outside of that, Adames (24-1, 18 KOs) doesn’t see the hype.

“The only big advantage that he has is his height,” said Adames to Not Just Boxing during a recent sit-down interview. “In terms of his boxing skills, he isn’t really that impressive to me.”

Over the last few years, Adames has been on cruise control, beating his opponents senseless. His activity, nevertheless, hasn’t been ideal. In 2022, 2023, and 2024, Adames made just one appearance yearly. Sheeraz, on the other hand, has seemingly fought every week.

Hyperbole aside, The Ring’s No. 2 ranked 160-pounder has remained sharp, especially in 2024. During the year, the lanky contender fought three times. He pushed Liam Williams into retirement following a quick first-round knockout in February. He then handed Austin Williams the first loss of his career via 11th-round stoppage. He finished up his 2024 with a second-round knockout win against Tyler Denny in September.

Sheeraz (21-0, 17 KOs) never broke a sweat while he was picking up those victories. Adames, from a distance, noticed the ease with which Sheeraz went about his business. But there's a difference between the level of opposition he's been fighting and the elite level according to Adames.

Once the opening bell rings and fists start flying, Sheeraz will come to the realization that he was sitting at the kid’s table this entire time.

“He’s gonna have a rough and tough night.”