TEENAGE boxing star Isa Akram says he feels like nothing can stop him from reaching his potential.
The 19-year-old will challenge fellow Scottish internationalist Nick Devlin for the inaugural Boxing Scotland Gold Series Lightweight Championship this weekend at ‘Clash On The Clyde’.
The Rob Roy boxer was tipped as one of Scotland’s brightest talents when winning a Bronze medal at the European Junior Championships in 2019.
The southpaw followed that up by winning Gold at the prestigious Monkstown Box Cup in Ireland later that year, as well as being named Boxer of the Tournament.
However instead of being able to build on that success, the youngster was forced to miss more than two and a half years of in-ring action due to a series of injuries and a global pandemic.
But now injury-free for the past 18 months, the Glasgow boxer is ready to showcase his talents in front of a home crow d at Glasgow’s Crowne Plaza Hotel on Saturday evening.
“I am looking to do a lot more over the next year or two,” Akram said.
“After my success at the European Junior Championships and the Monkstown Box Cup I was basically injured all of the time.
“I broke my thumb three times and had an elbow injury that took me out for pretty much a year.
“So my luck hasn’t been the best.
“If you add in the lockdown I missed out on two and a half years.
“But now I am injury free and I have picked up consistency with my training.
“My luck looks like it has turned around over the past year and a half.
“My boxing career has been very stop-start and not been very consistent, but I feel good and ready to go.
“I feel like nothing is stopping me now.”
After missing a large chunk of his Junior and Youth years, Akram is now entering his second year as a senior boxer.
Isa, who will turn 20-years-old the day after ‘Clash On The Clyde’, admits it was a daunting proposition to be thrown in with senior boxers last year, but feels he has now adjusted to the increased demands.
“Last year was my first as a senior and I did relatively well considering it was my first,” Isa added.
“It was quite nerve-wracking to be honest. It was a big difference as there was no headguards.
“My first senior bout was against Saul Sztor on his home show at Lochend, which I won.
“My second senior bout was then at the Ireland Dual International and that was against the Under-22 Irish champion, which I also won.
“My fourth bout was then against the European champion and he was a lot older and it was his strength out of everything that was a big difference.
“I was getting hit with jabs and I was like bloody hell.
“There was a difference, but I feel now like I have adjusted to the seniors.
“This year I feel a lot stronger and more confident and have been really pushing it with my training.
“I feel really good this year to be honest and feel like it is good timing for everything.”
This weekend will bring a new challenge again as he is set to box more than three rounds for the first time in his career.
The two main events at ‘Clash On The Clyde’ will be Gold Series bouts, boxed over five rounds and with no vest.
In addition to Akram’s contest against O’Neils’ Nick Devlin for the Gold Series Lightweight Championship, Nightmare Boxing Club’s Matthew McDonald will box Byron’s Fawaz Aborode for the inaugural Boxing Scotland Gold Series Welterweight Championship.
“I have never done 5×3’s before, but I have made slight adjustments to my training,” Isa said.
“When it comes to doing them five rounds I will be able to do them no problems, and will be ready for it.
“With my style I do not have the fastest of paces and I more of a rhythm boxer, so with it being over five rounds it should be to my advantage and I should be able to take my time throughout the rounds and pick my shots better.
“It is something different, but I am looking forward to it.
“It is a bit awkward boxing Nick as we are in the Scotland squad together and get on well, but at the end of the day we are fighting against each other and whatever happens in the ring stays in the ring, it is nothing personal.
“But in the ring it is a different story, I am there to take him out and he is there to take me out.”
There are only a few seats left for the event, so head to the below link to secure your ticket for what is sure to be a fantastic evening of international boxing;
