Everyone on planet earth knows of a boxing champion called Ali. Muhammad Ali was ‘The Greatest’ and who would dispute that?
Watch out now for an unbeaten fighter from Horden on the County Durham coast called Ali who is seeking to put his name against a title.
Ali Shah is to take on Essex boy Arnie Dawson for the Commonwealth Youth European lightweight belt at the Rainton Arena on Saturday, June 7.
The title is quite a mouthful isn’t it? But the Hartlepool-born 23-year-old will hope his headline appearance over eight rounds on the Jobes Boxing event is just the start of his championship journey.
“Arnie has got something about him, but these are the fights I want,” Shah told punch-lines.
“I don’t want to be fighting journeymen, I’m bored of it, boxing them is not for me.
“Fights like this are what I want.
“I want to see how good I really am. It’s no good me saying ‘I’m this good’ I need to prove it to myself.
“Boxers are scared to lose. Why? We are here to fight so get in and fight and that’s what I’m going to do here.”
The two combatants share 10 wins between them and this looks, on paper, a very attractive contest.
Shah, a member of the Twins Academy in Trimdon, where he is trained by Jordan Williams, has tasted victory in each of his four professional bouts. Dawson, meanwhile, has six straight successes on his fight log.
Arnie is from Nigel Farage territory in Clacton, but we won’t hold that against him.
Known as ‘The Terminator’. the 22-year-old has made good strides in his career and recently was a member of the home team as UK took on the USA in a transatlantic team tussle in London.
Dawson stopped USA’s Divante Jones in the first round of ‘The Battle at the Bridge’ which was promoted by Dennis Hobson last month.
Shah’s last victory was in February in Newcastle. Boxing News noted how he had been “frustrated by an untidy first half of the fight” against Dublin southpaw Jacob Marrer before finishing strongly for a 60-53 verdict.
“When I get put in against higher level opponents then that’s when you will see the best in me.
“I feel as though I’ve not had the chance to show the best me yet.
“In my last fight I got complacent and got caught with a few silly shots but that’s because I wasn’t really bothered about what was coming at me.
“Not this time when I know I’ve got someone a bit dangerous.”
Despite the fighter’s frustration, his fourth paid win over Marrer thrilled his noisy band of fans who constantly sang “Ali bomaye” a chant in homage to Muhammad Ali from those who yelled it in the Zaire arena in the dramatic Rumble in the Jungle KO of George Foreman.
“I’m grateful for their support, they are brilliant,” added Ali. “I see boxers struggling to sell tickets but I’ve never had that issue and thank those who come to support me.”
Before ending the interview, Shah is keen to also thank new sponsors destination2, a company who create tailor-made holidays all over the planet.
Ali aims to travel in the boxing world and the first destination is Houghton on June 7.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Jason Corbett/ Mindenwood Photography
