Carlos Adames retains his middleweight title in unsatisfying split draw with Hamzah Sheeraz

Carlos Adames, the WBC middleweight champion, didn't take a star turn Saturday like heavyweight Agit Kabayel or super welterweight Vergil Ortiz Jr. did earlier on the Riyadh Season card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Kabayel knocked out heavyweight Zhilei Zhang with a body shot in the sixth, and Ortiz put on a master class in cruising to a decision over Israil Madrimov.

Adames wasn't nearly at their level, but the sheer output he produced carried him to a victory over Hamzah Sheeraz. Sheeraz simply didn't let his hands go often enough to take the title from the champion. Adames, though, was just ordinary himself and the result was an unsatisfying split draw.

One judge had it 115-114 for Sheeraz. Another had it 118-110 for Adames and the third had it 114-114. I had it 115-113 for Adames.

The fight was there to be won for both men, but neither stepped up when they needed it. Sheeraz, in particularly, seemed gun shy and was landing just one at a time. His promoter, Frank Warren, was going ballistic for much of the fight, encouraging Sheeraz to pick up the pace. After the 10th round, Sheeraz trainer Ricky Funez told him he needed a knockout to win.

While Sheeraz did performance better in 11 and 12, he certainly did not lay it all on the line in pursuit of the victory that seemed to be there for the taking.

According to CompuBox, Adames landed 143 of 509 total punches and out-landed Sheeraz in nine of the last 10 rounds. Sheeraz connected on 135 of 490.