Story: Rob Smith
On their arrival at the Messenger office, Elias and Muheeb Fazeldin, father and son, began a revelation of personal achievements, along with their ideology of promoting Burngreave in the arena of professional championship boxing.
Living in the Denholme area of Burngreave and of British Yemeni origin, Elias, a visibly proud father, begins by explaining:
“When Muheeb was 3 years old, we saw him using a skill they called slip-flip, while also using some very strange foot stances when he was play fighting.”
Elias was told his son should be taken to boxing lessons but he as a father decided against it.
“I did not like boxing, you see. But it was when we came to live in Sheffield back in 2000, to keep him out of trouble, I took him to a karate club at Concord Sports Centre. He was 8 and did it until he was 13, becoming a brown belt in karate.”
Muheeb agreed, smiling while exuding a calm air of confidence.
“My dad liked me doing karate and it helped my hyperactive behaviour,” he laughs, “I was always fighting, you see, and getting into trouble. I started hanging out around the back of the Vestry Hall. There I met a local boxer called Richard Towers. He encouraged me, as well as others, to join a local boxing club instead of just hanging around.”
With his unique style and skills, Muheeb was quickly noted by both Brendan Ingle and his son Dominic, winning more than 18 of his amateur fights.
“To begin with, I weighed 17 stone and began training it down to 55 kilos, making me a bantam or super Bantam weight,” explains Muheeb. “Brendan, Dominic and the other trainers began teaching me how to control my footwork skills before moving me onto the bag and then into the ring.”
It was in November 2006, aged 15, that Muheeb fought and won his first amateur fight. As he progressed, his coaches in the Ingle team recognised his very unorthodox style. “They started calling it the Ingle breed,” Muheeb says proudly.
Holding the title of Yorkshire region ABA champion for the last 3 years, his trainers are about to propel Muheeb Fazeldin into the limelight. He explains that, now turning professional, he has been regularly sparring with the Ingles’ club’s top fighters, such as Kel Brooks and Junior Witter.
“I want to be known as a positive role model for my generation here in Sheffield’s inner city and my mission is to bring a world championship boxing title right back here, to Burngreave.”
Muheeb Fazeldin is asking for sponsorship from any local businesses seeking an opportunity to promote themselves through the future career of this local up and coming boxing champion. Contact Muheeb on 07833 321 191 for more information.