Nasser Al Harbi – The forgotten prospect
With an abundance of speed, technique and movement one would have thought British promoters would be fighting over Nasser Al Harbi. However, it is quite the opposite. In fact Nasser has had to look as far afield as Dubai for potential fights. He is currently not under a contract with a promoter and feels that his talent is not being given the exposure it deserves. With an undefeated record of 10-0 and solid amateur pedigree, Nasser now wants to gradually start increasing the level of his opponents and fight for a title in due course.
The immense confidence bestowed in Nasser is evident when he stated “I see Matthew Hatton as a future opponent. He is tailor-made for my style. I would counter-punch him all night. To me he is a very overrated welterweight.”
Nasser has sparred with some of the best talent in Britain and elsewhere. This year he has sparred with the likes of Michael Jennings, Anthony Small and Rob Hunt. In the past he has sparred with the likes of Matthew Macklin, Darren McDermott, Jamie Cox, Luis Garcia, Patrick Bogere and Frankie Gavin (in the amateurs). Funnily enough he has even sparred with Pele Reid in the past! He claims to have held his own against them all and learnt a lot from the sparring sessions. When asked as to who he thought was the best of the bunch his answer was rather brisk and straight to the point: “It was definitely Luis Garcia. He is a brilliant fighter. Technically Frankie is the best though."
Nasser’s father Naj Al Harbi, who acts as his adviser, informed BoxRec News that a fight is currently being negotiated for Nasser in Dubai against Dennapa Bigshotcamp. This fight is likely to be for the WBC International welterweight title. If negotiations are successful then this bout is likely to take place on 29th October. Initially Nasser was in negotiations with Philip Kotey in the UK but that potential fight fell through because Kotey was offered a fight against Patrick Bogere for the International Masters welterweight title (which in turn also fell through).
Nasser stated “I will fight pretty much anyone really. I want a step up in every fight. I fear no one.”
Nasser’s father Naj stated, “Nasser wants to fight everybody and I sometimes hold him back because I want him to fight people where he has something to gain. There’s no point in taking pointless fights.”
Naj Al Harbi informed BoxRec News that the promoters in Dubai, with whom they are dealing with, have been in negotiations with Golden Boy Promotions in relation to holding a huge show in Abu Dhabi. The show would be headlined by Floyd Mayweather.
Naj stated “If Golden Boy Promotions have a show in Abu Dhabi then Nasser could fight on Mayweather’s undercard, which would be amazing worldwide exposure for Nasser.”
BoxRec News also asked Nasser as to whom he felt were the best domestic fighters in the welterweight division and he replied “Kell Brook is the best without a doubt. O’Donnell is number two and Michael Jennings is number three. I felt I did very well when I sparred with Jennings. He had a lot of mobility but I held my own against him. I also believe that I did very well against Anthony Small in sparring.
Naj: “Over the years Nasser has held his own in sparring against the best this country has to offer. If you don’t believe me then ask the fighters themselves. Nasser is only 21, he has grown in to his body and is building muscle. I can feel his power increasing every week. I believe in Nasser’s talent and he can go all the way."
Nasser has recently moved to the Tyseley gym in Birmingham, which is well renowned in the bodybuilding industry. Naj has opened the Birmingham Boxing Academy within this gym and will soon apply for a license with the British Boxing Board of Control.
It is pretty clear that Nasser wants to increase the level of his opponents and he wants a tougher challenge. However, he is being held back by lack of interest from British promoters. He is an exciting prospect who feels that his talent is not being appreciated and would like to make a name for himself in the welterweight division. Let’s hope we see more of Nasser in the UK but as things stand he will most likely fight in Dubai or Abu Dhabi for the foreseeable future. If any promoters are interested in Nasser then you can contact his father Naj on 07796293980.
