Ali Adams: "I'm too fast for all the heavyweights in Prizefighter"

Someone old, someone new, it almost sounds like a line from a wedding advert but I was referring to the latest installment of boxing’s favourite one night stand.

Prizefighter returns to the York hall with a heavyweight edition this Saturday and includes two men in Matt Skelton and Michael Sprott who are now both at the veteran stage of their career but still hoping for one last punch at the big time.

Skelton faces the little known Ali Adams in the first quarter final. I caught up with the Iraq born boxer ahead of his big opportunity at his East London based TKO gym headquarters and found him in good spirits as he spoke about his life and chances.

From the outset if Adam’s background is anything to go by Skelton will be battling with a man who has come up the hard way, but has fought his way through life’s adversities.

“I was born in Baghdad. I left the country when I was 14 and I got to this country when I was 15 and I had no one to back me up. I was all by myself, I was working, studying and boxing at the same time."

Adams couldn’t speak a word of English and decided to learn the language while lifting boxes in an Irish company in West London’s Hanger Lane and found his early days here difficult.

“I was getting £1 per hour working 15 or 16 hours per day. They were taking liberties because I didn’t know the language and I didn’t have all of my documentation."

Then a welcomed introduction to the All Stars gym in Paddington presented Adams with an opportunity for his talent to be discovered while also doubling up at his home for a couple of months.

Ali also worked as a manger for a mobile phone company for five years before turning professional at 25, when former world featherweight champion and friend, Nassem Hamed, put him in contact with matchmaker Dean Powell who guided Adams' affairs for his first three fights.

Adams, who is now 28 and trained by Johnny Eames, says he enjoys listening to music and watching films, picking Gladiator as a main source of inspiration.

Like the hit film, victory for him over his opponents could make a huge difference to those close by, and Adams says he would use some of the £32,000 reward to help his family still in Iraq.

Despite being a professional for just three years and having only 12 fights, Adams predicts his skills will shine through in the knockout tournament.

“I think I am too fast for all the heavyweights in this country, I think I have got an amazing jab.”

As a current student studying to be a computer engineer Adams will need all his systems up and running if he is about to strike gold.

There are several other men just waiting for their chance to shut him down.