Ahmed: ‘I should’ve been British champ on four occasions’

Ijaz Ahmed…fighting on. Picture: MSN Images/BCB Promotions

IJAZ Ahmed – the super-fly who made unwanted boxing history by drawing on three occasions for the British title – is bogged down in conspiracy theories.

He believes the sport is against him. He believes there is an unspoken agenda to prevent him reaching the top, to prevent him “going forward”.

Holes can be picked in the Bordesley Green fighter’s views. In 2021, Ahmed gained a wafer-thin majority decision over Quaise Khademi, a Frank Warren fighter, on a Frank Warren show. That result, which earned him the IBF and European titles, flies in the face of claims the industry is against him.

In his last British title bid, Ahmed was stopped in nine by Marcel Braithwaite. Some of the Liverpudlian’s punches may have caught “Jazzy” on the back of the head, but I had no quarrels with the decision. From ringside, I didn’t catch the scent of controversy.

Nevertheless, Ahmed is an angry man. He feels he has been unjustly deprived of his legacy.

He has not fought since that loss in October last year, but, at the age of 31, has vowed to plug on.

“I did think, what more can I do? What do I have to do?” Ahmed, now trained at the McCracken gym, said. “Those questions were running through my mind. I was thinking, it’s not in God’s plan, I might as well put my head down and focus on something I have a fair chance of getting.

“I had a sit down with my dad and we decided too much hard work and too many years have been put in to leave the sport on a bad note. It was not meant to be and only God knows for what reason.

“I will be back, but the fights will have to make sense. I want to be involved in 50-50 fights. I’m ticking over, I’m in the gym. It looks like I’m going to be the ‘B side’ and fight against an up-and-coming prospect. I’ve got to do a number on him like I’ve done in the past.”

Ahmed’s 16 bout career will forever be linked with Khademi, born in Afghanistan. The pair have fought three times – and two of those contests ended in draws for the British title.

Ijaz steadfastly believes he won them both. They were desperately close affairs.

After that, Ahmed was given a third British title chance and drew with Braithwaite, drafted in at short notice. Marcel made the judges redundant in the return, although Ijaz maintains he was decked by illegal blows.

“It’s an upsetting situation for myself,” Ahmed said. “I have fought for the British title four times, four times something happened to get in the way of me winning it.

“I should’ve been the champion the first time against Khademi – you have the video evidence. I feel very much hard done by – four times. How much patience do you have to have?

“Financially, I’m not stable. If I’d won those fights I’d be in a better position. I have to go to work as a car mechanic, I have to juggle all these things to try to make a better life for my family.

“I’m only getting older and that makes it more difficult to make weight.”

Age has a tendency to make men more mellow. It’s not cooled the resentment that burns inside Ahmed.