One year on from his greatest pain, Harris Akbar will start a new boxing life in Nottingham on Saturday night.
It was around this time last year that the brilliant 26-year-old amateur from Bradford knew it was time to turn professional after missing out on a spot on the British team at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
It was an agonising near miss for the prodigiously talented light-middleweight, as he lost out to Lewis Richardson in the race to fight at the World Olympic Qualifiers in Thailand. Richardson would then go on to claim bronze at the big dance in France, while Harris was left to ponder his future.
The pain of that disappointment was intense, but it also made Akbar’s next decision a simple one – it was time to take his tantalising talent into the paid ranks. His terrific 198-fight career as an amateur, including glorious gold at the 2022 European Championships, was now over.
Harris could not be in better hands as he begins this epic journey – he has signed with Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions. He is co-managed by former HBO PPV guru Mark Taffet and Katia Banel. An elite team is in place, now it is time to fight.
On Saturday night Harris will make his debut under the brightest lights – on a huge DAZN show in Nottingham topped by Anthony Cacace vs Leigh Wood.
The journey starts with a four-rounder against France’s Remi Scholer (5-16), and ahead of fight night Harris spoke to Furyjoshua.com about his story so far, and what the future might hold.
Amateur glory
Q – You had a really extensive amateur career. Who was the best you boxed as an amateur and why?
Harris Akbar: Yes 198 bouts over the span of 15 years! I’ve been grateful for every win and loss. It has just enhanced my boxing, and made me a lot more mindful, especially in dealing with situations in and out of the ring. I fought many outstanding fighters in my amateur bouts, but I believe the best person I boxed is a lad from Ukraine called Yuri Zakariev. He won the world championship in 2021 and he beat me at the time quite convincingly. To bounce back from that and get to where I needed mentally and physically – it was the push I needed. And to finish that chapter, in the return I beat him in a thrilling fight in 2022 – 6 or 7 months after in the semis of the Europeans. We had two great battles.
Q – Was winning the European Championships in Armenia the highlight of your amateur career?
HA: The European Championships was definitely one of the highlights of my career. I’ve definitely gone through a lot as an amateur with 4 European medals, a World medal and a youth Commonwealth gold…Boxed all over the world…but one that sticks with me is winning my first senior ABA title. It sticks because my coach had trained me since I was 12, Mally Maciver and my dad was in the corner and having my family there to cheer and support me just felt surreal. It’s a feeling that will stick with me for a lifetime.
Paris 2024 and Olympic agony
Q – How tough was it not being given that final qualifying chance for the Olympics in Bangkok?
HA: It was a very tough pill to swallow but as I stepped back and took a couple months off it made me ever more grateful for the things I accomplished as an amateur. I did a lot. And then to be accepted into the Steel City gym, under Grant Smith as my coach, just helped me put everything behind me. Surrounded by the quality of boxers there and the coach just made it all worthwhile. It makes me even more excited for my debut. This is the start of my professional journey, and I’m going to chase and accomplish everything I deserve. Going to better myself and make my professional career a statement and make it a legacy.
Fast track to pro success?
Q – Do you feel with your extensive amateur background you can be fast tracked to an extent as a pro?
HA: With my extensive amateur background I definitely feel I can be fast tracked. I boxed the best in the world. It was incredible. There were times where you could box many great boxers in the span of days. Again I am excited to finally step into a professional circuit and make it a stamp and let everyone know who I am.
Q – What do you feel are your greatest strengths, and which areas are you actively looking to focus on for improvement?
HA: My greatest strengths in terms of my boxing I think are my reactions and my tendency to stay head focused. I can’t wait to show the audience what I’m about. I have 100% confidence in my abilities and strengths, and with my shortcomings it’s something definitely me and the coach have been working on, shortly turning them into my strengths.
Q – Your pro debut is coming up fast, and on a big show in Nottingham. How do the nerves for that so far compare with your big days as an amateur?
HA: I’m not nervous, people always keep telling me I get one debut – it’s a special moment but I want to take the opportunity with both hands and make a mark. It gets me going, gets me more determined and disciplined. I can’t wait to put on a show.
The early days
Q – How did you first get into the sport, and who had the biggest influence on you getting started?
HA: I first got into fighting because I was a kid with a lot of energy who couldn’t sit still. My dad used to take me to the park as a kid so I could burn energy in the evening and I would run for an hour nonstop and then sleep. He’d do that everyday! It was a lot of work. Slowly it went from running in the park to sports, and boxing is the one that stuck and I never looked back since. So from those experiences my dad has been my biggest influence…he pushed me into the sport and helped me wherever he could. I owe him everything and I am forever grateful for everything he’s put into it for me.
Q – Growing up, who were your idols, and did you model your style on anybody in particular?
HA: Growing up in boxing my biggest idols were Muhammad Ali and Amir Khan. Watching these guys on the big screen, and watching them win only just pushed me harder and further. I never tend to model my style on any boxer because I believe a lot in individuality which makes someone a lot more difficult to box. As I was growing into the sport more I did take bits of stuff from other boxers, as an amateur boxer one of my favourites to watch was a Kazakh who won the Olympic Gold in 2012 called Serek Sapiyev… his movement and his work off his jab were unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.
Signing with Frank Warren
Q – You’ve signed with Queensberry Promotions to start your pro career. It must give you even more confidence that somebody like Frank Warren wanted to get you on board. What are your first impressions of working with him?
HA: I am grateful for Queensberry for putting me on their roster – an ever strong and growing one at that. I fully believe Queensberry is the best of the boxing promotions in terms of growing boxers and getting them in the best fights and I’m excited to start my journey with them and show them what I can offer.
Q – It’s very very early to be asking this, but what are your long-term ambitions for your pro career?
HA: My long-term ambitions as a professional is to put a statement and create a legacy that withstands the test of time. I want to have belts and put my name on the big screen, headline events and have crowds chanting my name. I want the very best for myself and I believe with my ability and the team around me I have what it takes to do that.
