Carlos Adames is ready and pumped to defend his WBC middleweight championship against dangerous puncher Hamzah Sheeraz.

Many sceptics feel the Dominican power-puncher is being lined up for Sheeraz to produce a new career-best display on the stacked Last Crescendo show in Riyadh, February 22, though Matchroom chief Eddie Hearn is not among them.

After stoppage wins over Juan Macias Montiel and Julian Williams, Adames (24-1, 18 KOs) was upgraded to full WBC world titleholder last May - coincidentally on his 30th birthday - after Jermall Charlo's DWI arrest. He defended it a month later with a UD12 (119-109, 118-110, 118-110) win over Terrell Gausha and will end an eight-month layoff against a surging unbeaten contender.

Sheeraz (21-0, 17 KOs) had a memorable 2024 campaign, retiring former world title challenger Liam Williams with a first-round TKO win before contrasting stoppage victories over Ammo Williams and now-former European champion Tyler Denny on Riyadh Season cards saw his stock rise further as one of Britain's in-form boxers looking to breakthrough on the world stage.

Much like WBA featherweight world champion Nick Ball (21-0-1, 12 KOs) and later burgeoning heavyweight contender Fabio Wardley (18-0-1, 17 KOs) managed on Saudi shows in 2024, his 11th-round TKO win over then-unbeaten Austin 'Ammo' Williams (17-1, 12 KOs) as Queensberry's captain on the 5vs5 card last June was most memorable.

Hearn, who counts Williams as part of his Stateside-based stable, was critical of Sheeraz on his watchalong of the Smith-Ouizza card last month and mentioned his name among a handful as future opponents for Diego Pacheco at super-middleweight once he inevitably moves up a weight division.

The 45-year-old promoter delved into further detail when asked by The Ring. On the suggestion he made regarding Ammo having just three weeks preparation for that fight, he clarified his statement:

"Ammo was training and fit but all over the place with camps, probably about four weeks' real work and you can't do that against someone like Sheeraz. It was three weeks of *proper* prep but yeah, I don't think people realize how tough a fight this is for Hamzah.

"I had Adames sparring Diego Pacheco, he was also in the David Benavidez camp and all of them were telling me... this geeza is a f------ serious fighter. Hamzah is tight at the weight, I have to be honest - really want him to win - he's a very big underdog in that fight and we talk about levels, he's our [British] guy, but from the Ammo he boxed, his toughest career fight, to Carlos Adames? It's a big jump. Quality fighter but a big underdog."

Williams, who returned with a fifth-round knockout win over Gian Garrido in November on Matchroom's Philadelphia card, is slated to return against Patrice Volny (19-1, 13 KOs) on March 15, headlining an Orlando card featuring the pro debut of Olympic 2024 bronze medallist Omari Jones at super-welterweight.