Haidary gives taste of what is to come

Shabir Haidary…an Afghan cobra in the ring

“THAT was just the tip of the iceberg,” Afghan Warrior Shabir Haidary told me after trouncing experienced Michael Mooney at Solihull’s Planet Ice last night (Saturday).

“I’m going all the way to the top,” he beamed. “There’s so much more to come.”

At this level, Gloucester based Haidary looks something special, but much stiffer tests await.

Tommy Owens’ huge show – an event that started at 7pm and ended just before midnight – gave me my first glimpse of the southpaw junior-lightweight in action.

He fights with hands slung by his side and showed footwork that would’ve done Prince Naseem proud. It’s an unusual style, with gloves near touching the prospect’s knees before being whipped up to the target.

Now unbeaten in five – two inside distance, he slipped, pivoted, then unleashed heavy ammo. At one  point in the third, the 24-year-old ducked under a swing and delivered a left to head and body while pivoting.

That’s flashy. That takes some doing. In the ring, the man’s a cobra.

The fact the four rounder lasted the full course says much for the old fashioned bottle of Mooney, who lost for the 94th time in 105 bouts (two draws). He grinned while the punches thudded home, but endured a thoroughly uncomfortable evening, losing 40-36.

And despite the steady stream of shots, Haidary (9st 6lbs) could not put him down.

In the last – a session that saw Mooney (10st 7lbs) pinned in a corner – a left hook and right hook to the body echoed around the arena.

“That was a taster,” Shabir told me afterwards.

If that’s the taster, fans are in for some main course.