Zain - boxer whose day starts at 2am!

Ali outpoints Sam Kirk in December. Picture: Inga Zulyte

RESIDENTS who have witnessed a hooded individual breathlessly pounding the pavements of Alum Rock at 2am in the morning need to be re-assured.

The individual was fighter Zain Ali. That’s when a working day begins for the light-middle and his is a hectic schedule.

Roadwork in the wee hours, two stints in the gym and a full-time job as a courier. There’s also a young family – two boys under the age of three – waiting at the family home.

Such dedication was not always the case in light-middleweight Zain’s fledgling career. He cut corners and it showed.

On Saturday at the Eastside Rooms, Birmingham, the 26-year-old plans to show the improvements made by producing a sterling performance against 100 fight veteran Liam Griffiths. And he’ll have a good-sized crowd cheering him on for the apprentice four rounder on manager Anthony Manning’s show. Zain, a product of Nechells Green ABC run by the Holt family, has sold over 100 tickets.

Zain has certainly put the graft in for his fourth professional outing. His wife has learned patience is needed when married to a boxer.

“I think I’m going to get kicked out of the house soon,” he laughed.

Zain made a faltering start to his career, drawing his first two contest and failing to impress. He looked fleshy and flagged in both. The performances were not good enough, frankly.

His third appearance, last December, was a very different story. Zain was sharp, his stamina much improved in outpointing Sam Kirk.

The penny seemed to have dropped.

“At the beginning, I was pretty much doing things myself, now I have a team,” Zain said. “We have different days when we do different things. I’m getting the best out of myself. Before I was cutting corners.

“Last time, the main things I was pleased with was my stamina and my jab.”

For this one, Zain has sparred with thunderous punching light-middleweight champ Amir Abubaker.

“The crowd should expect a good performance,” he said. “I wanted a fight to test myself and Liam Griffiths is a good, experienced boxer having his 101st fight. I’ve sold over 100 tickets – even though it’s Ramadan people are coming out supporting me.

“With training and dedication, I think I can go far. I’m looking to have five fights this year and that will put me in line for a Midlands title fight.”

He added: “I’ve been doing this since I was eight or nine – and that’s thanks to the Holts. I’m not going to let all that work go to waste.”