Jeddah's Title Undercard: Sheeraz Survives the Boos, Kelly Survives a War
Jeddah Superdome, Saudi Arabia — July 25, 2026
Two British world titles defended in Saudi Arabia, two very different nights: Hamzah Sheeraz limped to a booed majority decision, while Josh Kelly bled through a grueling twelve rounds to keep his belt.
The BOXING OS Desk · Jul 27, 2026 · 5 MIN READ
- ✓Sheeraz retained the WBO 168lb title by majority decision — but was booed for a flat, favorite's night.
- ✓Kelly kept the IBF 154lb title by unanimous decision in a bloody, competitive war with Agyarko.
- ✓Zachenhuber (29-2) and Agyarko (unbeaten coming in) both proved live underdogs — favorites got tested.
- ✓Sheeraz's caution is a warning: fighting not to lose is how favorites lose their aura.
- ✓Kelly's night is the lesson in reverse: winning ugly against real resistance still builds a fighter.
On the Joshua–Prenga undercard in Jeddah on July 25, 2026, two British champions retained world titles. Hamzah Sheeraz kept his WBO super middleweight belt by majority decision over Simon Zachenhuber (116-112, 115-113, 114-114), a flat performance from a heavy favorite that drew boos and moved him to 24-0-1. Josh Kelly defended his IBF junior middleweight title by unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Caoimhín Agyarko (115-112, 115-112, 114-113) in a grueling, head-clash-marred war that left his face badly marked. Both kept their belts; only one looked like a fighter with momentum.
Undercards are where the sport tells the truth while everyone watches the main event. Jeddah's two title fights told two opposite truths about what it means to be the favorite.
Sheeraz: the cost of fighting not to lose Hamzah Sheeraz entered as a feared puncher expected to make a statement. He left with his WBO super middleweight belt, a majority-decision scorecard, and a chorus of boos. Simon Zachenhuber — a live, durable German — took him twelve rounds in a fight that "rarely caught fire," and the judge who scored it 114-114 wasn't wrong to.
The lesson is a warning every talented fighter should tattoo somewhere: fighting not to lose is how favorites lose their aura. Sheeraz kept the belt and dented the myth. Caution against a lesser man reads, to judges and fans alike, as doubt — and doubt is contagious. The preview flagged this fight as the connoisseur's pick; the connoisseurs left disappointed.
Kelly: the value of winning ugly Twenty feet away, Josh Kelly showed the opposite. Against previously unbeaten Caoimhín Agyarko, Kelly boxed early behind the jab, got dragged into a war as Agyarko applied pressure, absorbed a face full of accidental head clashes, and gutted out a unanimous decision. It was not pretty. It was exactly what a developing champion needs: proof, against real resistance, that the will holds when the plan gets messy.
Head clashes are their own miserable skill test — the reasons fighters end up tangled up close include the accidental collisions that turn technical fights into survival ones. Kelly survived his, marked up and still champion.
The scoreboard vs. the story Both men kept their titles. Only Kelly kept his momentum. In boxing, the belt is the fact and the performance is the future — and this undercard split them cleanly down the middle.
The favorite who fights not to lose has already lost the only thing that made him feared.
The headline acts: Joshua's escape and Tszyu retiring Spence.
FAQ
Did Hamzah Sheeraz keep his title against Zachenhuber?+
Yes — by majority decision (116-112, 115-113, 114-114), retaining the WBO super middleweight title in Jeddah on July 25, 2026. It was a flat, widely criticized performance from a big favorite, and he moved to 24-0-1.
Who won Josh Kelly vs Caoimhin Agyarko?+
Josh Kelly, by unanimous decision (115-112, 115-112, 114-113), defending his IBF junior middleweight title in a grueling twelve-round fight marred by accidental head clashes.
Were the Jeddah undercard fights competitive?+
Very. Both British champions were pushed hard — Zachenhuber took Sheeraz the distance and had the crowd behind him, and unbeaten Agyarko made Kelly fight a war before falling just short on the cards.
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