Zuhayr Al-Qahtani is a boxer with big ambitions, but the Jeddah-born southpaw has a small problem he needs to fix if he is to fulfil his dream of becoming a world champion — a quest for perfection that may take him to the US.
The unbeaten lightweight, Saudi Arabia’s only professional fighter, took his record to 4-0 earlier this month with a comfortable points win over England’s Dylan Draper, but the bout highlighted an ongoing dilemma for the Jeddah-born southpaw.
Al-Qahtani stands at just 5ft 6ins, which means the 29-year-old gives a significant height advantage to his opponents.
He combats that with his hand speed and rapid movement around the ring but, as the 5ft 10ins Draper showed at Bethnal Green’s York Hall, taller, slower fighters try to disrupt his rhythm by leaning over him and forcing a clinch.
Before his next fight, which he hopes will be in Jeddah on the undercard of the George Groves-Calum Smith bout announced yesterday, Al-Qahtani is working intensively with former British light middleweight Richard “The Secret” Williams at Miguel’s Boxing Gym in south
London on how to counter the tactic.
Al-Qahtani told Arab News: “In a lot of fights, they’re taller than me, so they just want to hold on to me. I always had it as an amateur, people would feel my punches and they just wanted to grab me. It clearly shows the individual and the kind of fighter they are.
“It’s a move to try to get you out of your comfort zone and rhythm. It becomes more of a chess game. It’s a technical thing, to get in and out quickly or, if he puts his weight on me, how I get out without using too much energy.
“I’m the one always being grabbed so I need to learn to get out quickly without getting frustrated and doing something silly.
“It’s about mastering the little basics. Boxing is an art, it’s not always about the quick knockouts, it’s a gradual thing about breaking the opponent down. Every fight I’m improving my intelligence and what I need to do to beat different opponents.”
Al-Qahtani’s desire for constant improvement also means he plans to spend significant time in the US to work with some of the world’s best trainers in honing his craft.
He has served all his boxing education in England but his wishlist of trainers feature Pedro Diaz, Virgil Hunter and Naazim Richardson, as he believes a visit stateside will help him reach the pinnacle of the sport.
Manny Pacquiao, Sergio Martinez and Vasyl Lomachenko are three of Al-Qahtani’s favorite fighters, and although the trio are not American, their time in the country helped them realize their potential.
With an undetermined fight scheduled for September and another likely in early 2019, Al-Qahtani is confident he can capture an Asian title in the next 12 months, elevating his status and giving him the chance to study new techniques in the US.
“Hopefully, after a few more fights I can go to (the US) and work with some world-class trainers who can bring the best out of me. I’m going to wait for my Asian title and then head (there),” Al-Qahtani said.
“America is the boxing hub. It’s the next step of achieving ultimate greatness. The best trainers, the best fighters — there will just be more opportunities to develop.”
The Draper bout also presented its own unique challenge for Al-Qahtani as a packed card by promoters MTK Global meant the Arabian Warrior did not get in the ring until 11:30 p.m. — more than four hours after he was due to appear.
Counting down the hours in his dressing room, Al-Qahtani tried to stay calm and focused, but admitted once the fight started he was so wound up by the delay, he came out swinging with emotion and did not box enough with his head.
“I was warming up, shadow boxing. I was impatient. I was getting into my zone, preparing, just remembering what I was doing this for,” he said.
“Every fight is nerve-wracking and to wait for more than four hours plays on your nerves. It was frustrating but the hungrier I am the more vicious I become. I just wanted to get in the ring and get it started.”
Keeping Draper penned in the corner or on the ropes, a first-round combination finished with an overhand left which opened a cut above his opponent’s eye and forced him further into his defensive shell.
Despite struggling with Al-Qahtani’s southpaw stance, the 36-year-old Englishman seemed content to stay on the backfoot and throw little in reply as the Saudi fighter’s frustration grew, even though he was well on top throughout the four-round contest.
“I need to work on not letting my emotions get the better of me, to stay cool. I would have been better had I not been angry,” Al-Qahtani said.
“Richard Williams was in my corner telling me, ‘your emotions are taking over, relax.’ The second and third rounds was when the work started and by the fourth round I was landing a few left hands and his eyes were rolling.
“But he kept grabbing me, not letting me finishing it. If I had another two rounds, I would have put him down.
“It’s very difficult to force a knockout in just four rounds. When it happens, either the guy is not a good fighter at all and doesn’t know what he’s doing or it’s just a case of a freak power-puncher like Mike Tyson.
“That’s why I need to start fighting over eight, 10 or 12 rounds. I like to break opponents down and that’s when you’ll see the best of me.”
What relaxed Al-Qahtani was the victory, as the referee raised “Triple Zee’s” left hand close to midnight following a dominant display. But his post-fight celebration also helped him unwind — not partying the night away, but the simple pleasures of a pizza and doughnut.
The strict training regime fighters undergo in the build-up to fights and the need to make weight means all treats have to be sacrificed in order to be in maximum condition; something Al-Qahtani admits is the hardest part of being a professional boxer.
“I got a pizza and a Krispy Kreme and munched them in my car. That pizza was so amazing. People won’t understand how good that tasted. It’s impossible to put into words.
“Before the fight I was on the train and trying to make weight, and there was a woman who offered her boyfriend a chocolate and he didn’t want it. I was sat there staring thinking, ‘you don’t understand what I’d do for a chocolate right now.’
“I was trying to make weight, I was so hungry and, man, I have such a sweet tooth — I love my milkshakes, I love my chocolate bars.
“The hardest thing about boxing is not the fighting part it’s making weight. You have to rid yourself of all the things you like to eat. It’s pure dedication.”