A HEATON boxing prospect is hoping for the first of many knockout performances when he returns to the ring on Friday night.
Khaleel Majid is in action on the undercard of the Ultimate Boxxer heavyweight tournament at the Altrincham Ice Arena looking to make it five wins out of five as a professional.
The 22-year-old’s four wins thus far have come via points with manager and trainer Kieran Farrell looking for him to kick on again as he continues to progress through the ranks.
Super lightweight Majid takes on Hungarian Istvan Kovacs over four rounds in a fight set to be broadcast live on both BT Sport and YouTube with a vocal following also making the short trip from Bolton to watch their man in action.
“He’s been sparring six rounds now so we know he can get through the rounds,” said Farrell.
“We’ve been working on improving his punch power and sitting down on his shots.
“It’s about putting them together and starting to get those knockouts.
“We’ll be looking for a KO on Friday but he’s still got to pick his shots and not do anything daft.
“He’s just got to deal with what’s in front of him. We know the opponent’s not got a great record but he hasn’t been stopped much either.”
Farrell has high hopes for a fighter he has compared to Amir Khan but with a hand injury ruling him out of a home-town fight in October and ‘The Major’ still having plenty of years ahead of him, the cornerman insists he is not in a hurry to see Majid take any unnecessary risks.
He has in fact mapped out a course over the next two or three years that would see him work himself into a position where he can face the best in Britain at 140lb.
“There’s no rush with him,” said Farrell, a former fighter who was forced to retire in 2013 after suffering brain damage in a fight with Anthony Crolla.
“He’s only 22 and as his manager it’s my job to put him in fights that he’s ready for.
“He’s got a long career ahead of him hopefully.
“This is over four rounds again and he’s only been a professional for just over a year.
“By the time he’s 26 or 27, which is still a good few years away, he’ll be mature and ready to fight for major titles.”
Majid is expected to be in action between 9pm and 10pm on Friday night, the card available to watch on both BT Sport and the Ultimate Boxxer YouTube page.
The feature tournament will see eight heavyweights battle it out with all four quarter-finals, two semi-finals and the final taking place on the same night in Altrincham.
Majid’s last fight saw him outpoint Lester Cantillano on another Ultimate Boxxer show at the same venue in July.
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