Khan: ‘I’m from Alum Rock - we’re one, we all stand together!’

Shabaz Khan with referee Peter McCormack after his debut win

IT was the scale – and volume – of Shabaz Khan’s fanbase on his debut that surprised this writer.

The 24-year-old has amassed an Alum Rock army.

At the Holiday Inn, Birmingham Airport, they chanted, sang and rejoiced as if their hero had captured a world title when opponent Michael Mooney retired at the end of the second. Two hundred of them raised the roof that Sunday afternoon.

A small minority’s behaviour towards Mooney – his left eye badly swollen - was beyond the pale. I applaud trainer Pete Leachman for acting quickly to stifle the boos.

He wanted Khan to be remembered for the razor sharpness and spear like jab displayed in the ring, not their antics. The super-lightweight was piston quick.

On Sunday, May 31, at the same venue, Shabaz looks to again dazzle for his second bout. With more time to sell tickets, he’s confident of putting just as many bums on seats, maybe even more. The Alum Rock Barmy Army is getting bigger.

“We are one with Alum Rock,” he said. “We stand together, when one comes forward and competes, we all follow. We’re one with Birmingham, it is one community. The supporters understand, they just show up and I can’t thank them enough.

“I was really nervous for my debut. My fanbase kept me up and made me raise my game.”

Watching Khan from ringside, tall, taut and with whiplash reflexes, it’s hard to believe he scaled 13st 5lbs as a 17-year-old amateur. That was before he took the game seriously and shed over three stone.

He and Leachman were understandably pleased with that first paid performance, but know there is much to be done.

“There are a few things to work on,” Khan said. “To be fair, in the amateurs I always had a pro style, I always had that aggression. There is no mercy in the ring – when you step in that ring, I am going through you. That’s my aggression.

“I can box, I can fight, there are many different styles in me. That’s why I didn’t want my first fight to end after two rounds – I wanted to showcase my skills.”

Khan is confident, but refuses to boast about what the future holds – not yet, anyway.

“In the back of my mind I have a thought,” he added. “In the back of my mind I know where I want to be. In the back of my mind, I know what I want to reach – I want to reach the heights. But I don’t want to sound over-confident because I know there is work to be done.”

He’ll do that work accompanied by a very large number of supporters.