“I’d rather fight than do interviews.”
This short, sharp sentence tells you everything you need to know about Hassan Ishaq.
In an era of influencer boxing, where manufactured social media feuds can outshine the sport itself, the 22-year-old super-bantamweight from Slough has little interest in clout or cameras.
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“I’m not used to the spotlight. I just love the sweet science of boxing,” he tells BBC Sport.
Mastering the art of self-promotion will come in time but, for now, Ishaq is backed by a team determined to ensure his talent does not go unnoticed.
Frank Warren, a promoter who has navigated the shark-infested waters of British boxing for 45 years, is guiding Ishaq’s first steps in the paid ranks. And in trainer Huzaifah Iqbal, he has a voice outside the ropes – a hype man, strategist and mentor rolled into one.
“Hassan’s going to be pound-for-pound one of the world’s best,” says a beaming Iqbal.
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“A multi-weight world champion like Manny Pacquiao, inshallah. One day, we’ll have Michael Buffer introducing Hassan and listing all the belts in all the divisions.”
Navigating the ‘delicate’ first stage
Talent, belief and dedication can take a fighter far but making smart decisions early on will determine the height of Ishaq’s ceiling.
Iqbal describes the transition from amateur to professional as a “delicate” stage, where careers are often made or broken.
“The first five or six fights are the real transition,” he says. “The work Hassan does in the gym now – and with the sparring partners we bring in – is more important than later.
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“As you get older, your muscles become cemented. It’s harder to change.”
Crucially, Iqbal believes the trainer must be involved when it comes to match-making, making sure opponents aid development rather than simply pad a record.
“Boxing is a messed-up sport. Sometimes managers who have never boxed find opponents,” he says.
“But it should be the coach, because the coach knows the fighter’s strengths and weaknesses.”
Even the sport’s greats needed learning nights. Pacquiao’s first three bouts went to points. In his second pro fight, Floyd Mayweather went the four-round distance with awkward southpaw Reggie Sanders and had to deal with a cut in the third.
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“We want opponents who make Hassan show what he can do. Who can test his grit and take his power. Hassan can box with both hands and we want someone who throws something back so he can slip, counter and whack.” Iqbal adds.
“We have to remember he’s only 22 but if he continues to keep pushing and learning, he will go all the way.”
The ‘Shooter’ and the sweet science
Ishaq won the Haringey Box Cup at featherweight as an amateur [Getty Images]
Ishaq will be searching for a third consecutive stoppage win on the undercard of featherweight Nick Ball’s world title defence against Brandon Figueroa in Liverpool on Saturday.
A three-time England national champion and gold medallist at the prestigious Haringey Box Cup, he boasts strong amateur pedigree.
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Such is the buzz around him that the end of his amateur career was marked with a celebration event in London which included messages of encouragement from heavyweight titan Anthony Joshua and unbeaten middleweight star Hamzah Sheeraz.
Yet for all his amateur success, Ishaq never considered staying on to chase Olympic glory.
“I had about 50 fights and won about 40,” he says. “But I felt like in the amateurs, I used to get robbed a lot. Decisions never went my way and it disheartened me.”
That disillusionment led him to the professional ranks. Nicknamed ‘Shooter’, Ishaq describes himself as a “thinker” rather than a brawler.
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“I’ll be a world champion within five years, 100%. I know what I’m capable of,” he says, his quiet manner not to be mistaken for a lack of ambition.
What makes him so good?
Ishaq fights out of the New Era Gym in Surrey under Iqbal, one of the sport’s brightest young coaches.
A former professional himself, Iqbal won his lone bout in 2019 before serving a lengthy apprenticeship under the tutelage of world-class coach Adam Booth.
Welterweight world champion Lewis Crocker has recently joined Iqbal’s stable and the trainer says the IBF belt-holder is one of many “elite fighters who turn their necks when Hassan is sparring”.
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Iqbal points to the ‘Philly Shell’ – the shoulder-roll defence popularised by Mayweather – as the foundation of Ishaq’s game.
Philly Shell is a high-IQ style built around making opponents miss by inches and punishing the mistake.
“A lot of Philly Shell fighters are purely counter-punchers and aren’t very aggressive,” Iqbal explains.
“But Hassan trusts his power. He has that defensive mindset but he can switch to offence at any moment. That’s what makes him stand out.”
More boxing from the BBC
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