Why Shakiel Thompson can bring more boxing honours to Sheffield
Amer Khan says Shakiel Thompson's freakish ability to make weight together with his massive reach will take him along the same path as champion Sheffield boxer Dalton Smith.
Thompson, at six feet three inches tall, has had outstanding success at middleweight, collecting the IBF European and WBO Global titles in April, during the last of his 12-straight wins (eight knockouts).
He will defend his belts on Friday at the Park Community Arena, Sheffield, against Coventry's River Wilson-Bent,(17-4-2), and former boxing pro and current trainer Amer Khan believes the Handsworth athlete will go on to greater things.
"Shakiel is one of my own personal favourites," said Khan.
"At the start of the year, I said to him: 'Shakiel if you don't win a title by the end of the year I am going to pack up boxing!"
In the next fight he won his two titles, said Khan.
"He is 6ft 3ins, his arms are twice the length of mine, and in reality nobody should be able to get past his jab.
"I am hoping towards the end of this year or early next he is boxing for the British title.
"I can't see hm getting beat - no one can get past his jab!"
Given his size Khan said there may be some "magic" involved in Thompson getting down to the middleweight limit on the scales.
He said he resembled light heavyweight rather than a middleweight.
"The only person that can beat Shakiel is Shakiel, and that is if he has not done the weight correctly or has done something drastically wrong in training.
"He has all the boxing ability in the world and has got all the attributes...he is as fit as a fiddle."
Khan said Roger Sampson and Gary Wilson, Shak's training team at Manor Boxing Academy, were exceptional at helping him towards his title goals.
He expects Thompson - and also Wybourn cruiserweight Sheldon McDonald and Rotherham's Junaid Bostan - would be following Steel City's Smith in reaching a high level in the sport.
Smith was in pole position at becoming the city's next world champion ambassador.
FRIDAY'S SHEFFIELD CARD
Shakiel Thompson (12 0 0) Sheffield v River Wilson-Bent (17 4 2) Coventry for the IBF European and WBO Global Middleweight
Reece Mould (18 2 0) (Doncaster) v Ryan Walsh (28 4 2) Norfolk, light
Tysie Gallagher (8 2 0) v (Tori-Ellis Willetts) 5 0 0 super bantam Commonwealth Boxing Council
Hughie Fury (28 3 0) Manchester v Christian Thun (9 1 0) Germany heavy
Maxi Hughes (26 7 2) Doncaster v Efstathios Antonas (7 2 2) Rhodes light
Jack Bateson (19 1 0) Leeds v Rakesh Lohchab (16 4 1) India feather
Amaar Akbar (6 0 0) Batley v Fernando Mosquera (6 22 0) Colombia welter
Koby McNamara (7 0 0) Leeds v Adil Rajesh Kumar Singh (11 5 2) India bantam
Muhammad Mustafa Ali (4 0 1)Leicester, v TBA super bantam
Edward Hardy debut Doncaster v Engel Gomez (8 36 3) Nicaragua feather
Taz Nadeem (2 0 0) Rotherham v Adam Cieslak (8 19 1) Poland light heavy
Naphtali Nembhard (3 0 0) Sheffield v TBA super middle.