Shabir Haidary….fights at Cannock’s Excelsior Club on November 26
IT’S been close to a year – and in boxing a year is a very long time – since Shabir Haidary’s last bout.
The months of kicking his heels finally come to an end on November 26 when the Afghan Warrior appears on Scott Murray’s Excelsior Sporting Club St Andrew’s show.
And that glitzy dinner show, featuring fine Scottish cuisine, may serve-up the title opportunity Shabir craves. The hunt is on to find an opponent to face Shabir in an eight-rounder for the vacant Commonwealth international featherweight belt, I’ve been told.
Shabir, unbeaten in 11, may well experience a feeling of déjà vu when he enters the plush Cannock venue’s ring: his previous contest took place on last year’s Excelsior St Andrew’s bill.
That points win over Caine Singh also followed a 12 month absence: his bout before that one – a third round demolition of Jahfieus Faure – also took place at the same venue and on another St Andrew’s special.
Excuse the pun, but isn’t that a case of third degree Robbie Burns?
Shabir stressed the days of frustration are almost over, a title fight is close to be being announced, without divulging the belt or even weight: with a day before weigh-in, Haidary could make super-bantam.
A 10 rounder is much needed for a 28-year-old who has shone in performances to date. It’s been easy to see why Shabir and manager Jon Pegg have found meaningful fights hard to come by. The fighter has lightning quick reflexes, strikes with a cobra’s accuracy and possess a healthy dig.
He is, understandably, a member of the “who needs them club?”, a tad too good for his own good. He presents a risk for prospects.
And Shabir is, at this level, very good – not many have demolished Faure, a man who has pulled off his share of upsets, the way he did.
It’s time to discover if Shabir, who splits training between Pegg’s Eastside gym, in Coleshill, and The Vault Combat centre in his home city of Gloucester, is good enough to take top titles. It’s also time to light a fire under his five year career which has been too stop-start.
Shabir, a former ABA amateur novice champ, understands why boxers with winning records aren’t queuing to face him. Knowledge doesn’t make the inactivity any easier.
“I think, in a sense, fighting me is high risk, low reward. I look at men fighting for domestic titles and think, ‘I’ve got their number’ – I know why they don’t want to fight me.
“Also, boxing is very political, it’s not as simple as two fighters wanting to fight and getting the fight on. There is so much behind the scenes, I don’t think people understand that. Getting fights is a lot harder than when I was an amateur.
“There was a point when I struggled and wanted to walk away, nothing was happening.” News of a belt has given Haidary the boost he needs.
The resolve was honed by a tough childhood. Haidary fled war-torn Afghanistan as a 12-year-old and the switch-hitting southpaw saved a baby from drowning as their crammed dinghy approached the Greek coast.
Haidary certainly can’t, as yet, rely on the game for a steady income and, like most pros, has to graft during the day: “Personal training, I dabble in building…whatever comes my way.”
“For me, I enjoy the sport,” he said. “I box because I enjoy it. Am I solely relying on the sport to make a living? No. At present, I’m working to fund my training.”
He continues because he’s sure the big opportunity has to arrive.
“Look at my ability and see what I can do! Keep getting the fights, keep winning the fights – that’s the priority. If I keep winning them, I have to get my chance.
“The one title I really want is the British. For me, since I turned pro that is the title most people want to fight you for, that’s the title that makes people take a risk.”
In the short term, Shabir wants more fights on public shows, adding: “I know I’ll get more supporters, I’m very fan friendly in terms of my boxing style. Ever since I first stepped into the ring I’ve been in there to entertain.”
Manager Pegg said: “He is a great talent. He’s a been a little bit inactive, but he’s starting to realise what the game’s about. He’s super-fit, he hits – he’s got everything except for the chances. He’s been turned down for some good shows.”
*The November 26 Excelsior show also features multi-titled feather Jess Barry, former European champ Danny Quartermaine and London cruiser prospect David Clement.