A boxer will make his professional debut this weekend after overcoming his brother and father's death.
Hakeem Palmer will take to the ring at Victoria Warehouse, Manchester on Saturday in honour of his brother Mubarak (Mibbs) who died aged 30 then and father Keith who died aged 59.
From an early age Hakeem was a fighter getting into trouble in school and on the Berkley estate, in Toxteth, where he grew up. He heard many stories about his uncle, Andy Palmer, who was an Amateur Boxing Association (ABA) champion in the 1970s for the Golden Gloves.
Hakeem told the ECHO : "My older brother Mibbs was always saying you may as well get into boxing because I was always fighting in school. He said I’m taking you down to the gym and he took me to the Golden Gloves when I was 10".
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When Hakeem was 12 his brother Mibbs was diagnosed with leukaemia, he said: "It was hard, I was still training, but it was half hearted. I was constantly distracted and when I was fighting it was at 50%".
Hakeem moved to another gym aged 15, the Solly, as the Golden Gloves lost their building. Soon after Mibbs died after losing his three year battle with leukaemia.
Hakeem said: "I was boxing for the Solly and Mibbs passing seemed like a bit of stress off my shoulders as he always wanted me to box and this motivated me. I was doing well and then my dad passed away when I was 17.
"I said ok and was back to square one, it was hard, but you get through it. After my dad passed I thought f**k it and put it all into boxing.
"I started doing well, excelling, training hard every day, twice a day, not going to college to go to the gym. I was studying business, but I did finish it in the end.".
Hakeem had plans to enter into the ABAs and win a national title but covid happened and that was another setback. After 30 fights throughout the country Hakeem thought he had enough experience having boxed "top lads".
He said: "I’d been back in the Golden Gloves about six months and said to Wayne (manager and trainer) what do you reckon? Do I turn over (become professional) or go to the ABAs and fight for a national title?
"I said I’m 21 and the Olympics I have no chance, by then I’ll be an old man as they already have the 2024 team. It would be hard by the time I try to go to the Olympics.
“I thought, why not turn over. I'm good enough and feel like I have the ability to go to the top as long as I train and take it one step at a time?"
Manager of Golden Gloves, Wayne Smith said: "Obviously he’s ready for the fight and he’s got a long way to go in his pro career. We’ll take our time with him and if he can get four fights this year, all learning fights that will nurture him and bring him on.
"We will look after him as you can get kids turning pro and they could sign with big promoters like Eddie Hearn or Frank Warren. If they have one bad performance you never hear of them again.
"What we're doing is you learn your craft, your trade and develop yourself as a professional boxer, which is different from amateur boxing. It's a different sport. We had a talk, Hakeem is ambitious. He wants to get it really going and he's at a good age to turn professional".
The ECHO asked Hakeem if this fight is dedicated to Mibbs, he said: "I don't know, he will be on my shorts. He will always be with me watching over me, I know that, so I’m just going to go in there calm and do the job and get it done".
