Spider: I am in this game to be the best
Ibraheem Sulaimaan…red hot prospect. Pic: Matchroom
IN boxing, there are prospects, hot prospects and then there’s Ibraheem “Spider” Sulaimaan, a fighter who exploded, more than merely arrived, on the pro scene.
Birmingham’s former amateur star is being groomed for very big things by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom promotional outfit.
To date, Sulaimaan, from Alum Rock, has more than lived up to the hype and lofty expectations. All his four wins have been on major televised shows and last time out, at Resorts World in June, Jesus Gonzalez was blasted out with contemptuous ease in two rounds.
After that demolition job, rapper Jaykae, Sulaimaan’s friend and backer, announced from ringside viewers had witnessed Birmingham’s first pay-per-view superstar.
Lightweight Sulaimaan, a 23-year-old brim-full of self-belief, agrees. “One hundred per cent, I’m only in the game to be the best,” he said. “Since I was a kid, 10-years-old, I said I was going to be the best in the game.”
Spider aims to add weight to that statement on September 28 when he boxes on Matchroom’s major Sheffield Arena show. The bill is headlined by local lad Dalton Smith’s bid for the European light-welterweight title.
Spectators will witness a boxing style that is unusual, if not unique. Sulaimaan’s “Spider” tag was earned when, as a seven-year-old, he first walked into Eastside gym in Spider-Man outfit.
But the ring name fits his current style like a glove. Sulaimaan casts an intricate web for opponents through eccentric, near hypnotic, sways and silky footwork. He then strikes with lightning speed from strange angles.
“I’ve never really been taught textbook,” he said. “As a kid, I used to watch Muhammad Ali and Naseem Hamed.”
He certainly has the unpaid CV to make a major impact, with four national titles, including a senior ABA trophy, Team GB vests and international gold medals.
And he already has a champ’s fanbase, with a staggering 600 tickets sold for his debut last August.
That huge following may have something to do with the fact Sulaimaan comes from a very large family. He has, believe it or not, 10 brothers. Five of them joined Eastside.
“It’s like a royal rumble when we’re in the house together,” he laughed. “My three older brothers boxed first, I was in nappies when they started.
Poster for Sulaimaan’s forthcoming fight in Sheffield
“When people knew I was doing boxing, all the Alum Rock brotherhood were on the journey with me.”
Eddie Hearn is lavish in his praise of the prospect. He said: “I like him, he’s very exciting. The quality of work is very good, the shot selection impressive. It’s time to start moving him on.”
Sulaimaan, however, will not be rushed in his quest for global domination.
“After my last fight, Eddie Hearn told me, ‘you’re fighting for a title next’,” he revealed. “But I told him I’m taking it a step at a time, I’m following my journey in the correct manner.” He knows rounds need to be banked before embarking on championship marathons. Sulaimaan is yet to go beyond four rounds.
That journey, gathering ever more titles on the way, does not include a Midlands title. Sulaimaan is adamant about that.
Therefore, the Board of Control’s proposed clash between Spider and fellow Brummie Mykey Lee Broughton for the lightweight belt appears dead in the water. “I can’t sell myself cheap,” Sulaimaan said. “I want to go down the international route, I fought the best as an amateur.”
Others have been surprised by Sulaimaan’s dynamic pro start, yet he expected it. “I knew it was going to be easier,” he said. “I always had that pro style. I don’t call it power, I call it punching correctly and when you punch correctly you’re going to hurt people.”
After the Gonzalez win, Sulaimaan announced: “I will take on the whole world.
“I know what I’m about. If they want me to fight like Tyson, I’ll fight like Tyson. If they want me to dance like Ali, I’ll dance like Ali.”
And Sulaimaan believes he has the skill to make cash like Mayweather. British boxing may be witnessing the birth of a real money spider.