Friday 4 November 2011

No night of the Pharaohs for Al Harbi

Nasser Al Harbi's luckless 2011 continues.

The unbeaten Birmingham welter [pictured with his developmental WBC strap] was set to box for the WBC world youth title in Egypt on November 18 against heavy-handed Tanzanian Karage Sua, who'd scored nine knockout wins in his 11 paid victories [five defeats and two draws].

But the promoter couldn't produce the funds to finalise the ambitious card in Cairo - leaving the fast-fisted, classy-boxing 22-year-old Second City stylist with his third disappoint of a now-frustrating year.

Al Harbi had been set to box then-unbeaten Irishman Dean Byrne in a fascinating 'someones-0-has-to-go' eight-rounder in July, only for the whole card at London's ExCel Arena to be scrapped and the fight shelved. He was also set to swap leather with iron-gloved former Commonwealth 11st champion Matthew Hall last month, but he was left disappointed for a second time when that fell through as well.

And 'Notorious Nasser', who's undefeated in 13 [one inside] and the WBC Asia Council Continental welterweight champion, has been limited to only two ring outings this year. He dominated durable Duncan Cottier over six in July and then, in Leeds in September, gave former two-time British Masters boss Lee Noble a boxing lesson over six - going through a repertoire of silky skills against a heavier ex-English title challenger.

After securing his maiden pro title with a seven-round knockout win over tough Thai Dennapa Bigshotcamp in Dubai last December, Al Harbi had been looking for a breakout 2011. It appears as if the accurate-punching Brummie will have to wait until 2012 to show the rest of Britain what the Midlands already knows.

No comments:

Post a Comment