GIVEN the tenacity and bravery of his performances in the ring it ought to come as no surprise that Kash Farooq has a desire to one day fight at the home of the Warriors.
The Glasgow boxer returns to action after an 11-month absence on Saturday to belatedly make his debut for Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom promotional stable.
It has been a long wait for the former British champion who is keen to make up for lost time by making a statement in front of a live Sky Sports audience.
His last bout in November ended in contentious circumstances with a points defeat to Lee McGregor, the Edinburgh boxer adding Farooq’s British title to his Commonwealth belt at the conclusion of a classic, no-holds-barred encounter.
There seems an inevitability that the two leading bantamweights will converge again, especially if McGregor adds the European title to his collection next month.
That would be one for the diaries at some point in 2021, ideally when it is safe for fans to return to watch it in the flesh.
McGregor has already spoken about hosting the rematch at Tynecastle but Scotstoun-based Farooq hopes the home of his neighbours – the Glasgow Warriors rugby team – could also be an option.
The Pakistani-born fighter acknowledges, however, he must keep progressing if that re-match is to become a reality, starting with a polished performance in Peterborough this weekend.
“It’s been a long, long time waiting for my Matchroom debut,” said the 24 year-old. “So I’m excited to finally get going. I want to showcase my skills and put in a good performance in front of a new audience watching on television.
“I want to make a statement and let them see what I can do as I’ve missed being out there performing under the lights.
“It’s live on Sky Sports in this country and on DAZN in the States so there might be some people seeing me for the first time. I need to get back out there and push on in my career.
“I’m just focusing on myself just now but if Lee wins his fight next month it sets us up for a potentially massive re-match.
“If everything is right and my manager Iain Wilson is happy with what’s on the table then we could look at getting back into the ring together next year.
“I’d rather have it in Glasgow so maybe we can take it to Scotstoun. The rugby ground would be perfect for me. It’s five minutes from my house so I could walk straight into the ring! I used to run around the track for training so I know the set-up pretty well.
“It’s one of those stadiums that I’d love to box at as it’s local to me and it’s somewhere I’m familiar with. My promoter Eddie Hearn can make it happen I’m sure.”
Hearn has tipped Farooq – who won his Lonsdale Belt outright last year with a third successful defence of his British title – as a future world champion.
The St Andrew’s Sporting Club boxer believes he has what it takes to reach those standards but reveals it is all secondary to delivering financial security for him and his family.
“Every fighter wants to win a world title and I’m no different,” he added. “But you want to get to a point that when you quit boxing you know you won’t have to worry about what you’re going to do for the rest of your life.
“I want to be able to support my family and be secure. Just small things like buying my family a house and setting yourself up for anything you might want to do in business later on. I want more belts and titles but they’re really just bonuses for me.
“Retirement could come at any point so this long wait to get in the ring has made me appreciate it even more. I have to keep working hard and taking every opportunity that comes my way.
“But I’ll be in this game for a while yet. It’s the only thing that I know. And I’m still enjoying it. When I no longer want to go to the gym then I’ll need to think twice at that point. Dieting, sparring and not going out are all hard. But I’m still committed to it all.”
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