QUEENSBERRY PROMOTIONS launch their new series of Friday night shows at the Copper Box Arena this week.
The premise is to give exposure to up-and-coming fighters on BT Sport and the 10-round clash between unbeaten featherweights Louie Lynn and Amin Jahanzeb is a good way to start.
Both 25-year-olds are fringe domestic contenders with sizeable fan bases, crowd-pleasing styles and inspiring stories.
From the Peacock gym, Lynn, based in Banstead but from Bermondsey, is a no-nonsense punching machine, while Bradford’s Jahanzeb is razor-sharp switch hitter who throws mostly singles and likes to mock opponents, pose and play to the gallery.
“I’m different to other boxers, Jahanzeb told BN. “I have the footwork and I like to entertain. Boxing is the entertainment business.”
Now trained by Haroon Headley and managed by Tunde Ajayi, Jahanzeb had a spell at the Ingles’ gym earlier in his 8-0 pro career and it shows. He sparred plenty of rounds with Kid Galahad and has some of his moves.
Martin Bowers, Lynn’s trainer at the Peacock gym, reckons Jahanzeb’s tactics will be to “make Louie miss and hope he loses his composure.”
Lynn is a fiery fighter – “hungry” is how Bowers described him – but showed there’s more to his boxing than all-out pressure in March when outpointing Sebastian Perez, a former Spanish and EU bantamweight belt-holder, over 10 rounds.
As always, Lynn was straight down to business, often churning out 100 punches per round, but Perez wouldn’t go away and had better moments in the fifth and sixth rounds before a pivotal seventh when Lynn seized back control. Scores were 100-91, 98-92 and 97-93.
Bowers said the Perez fight was just what Lynn needed. “It was a real fight,” is how the Peacock boss put it. Lynn showed he’s not just a brawler, he can box as well.
That is the best win on either fighter’s record – by some distance.
Lynn also has a decent win over Scotland’s Monty Ogilvie (9-1), a two-round mugging at the BT Sport studios last July. That is better than any result found on Jahanzeb’s record. Jahanzeb says that isn’t his fault, that he’s been asking for tougher opponents for a while.
“I asked for this fight,” he explained. “Nobody wanted to fight him and nobody calls my name out either. I have wanted tests before, but wasn’t getting anywhere. So I said: ‘Let’s call Louie Lynn out, I know I can beat him’.”
Jahanzeb has yet to have a competitive fight and even competitive rounds are hard to find on his record; every opponent he’s faced has lost more fights than they’ve won. Last time out, Jahanzeb outpointed reliable journeyman Jamie Quinn at the York Hall in September 2020, his first fight under the Queensberry Promotions banner.
No question Jahanzeb has talent, but he’s untested in his pro career. He only had 19 amateur bouts with Karmand ABC, explaining that he had injuries, including a hip problem that was so serious doctors told him he wouldn’t run properly again. Jahanzeb proved them wrong.
Lynn had a lengthier amateur career that peaked with winning the Elite bantamweight title in 2017 and he also has the momentum, having boxed five times since November, 2019, while Jahanzeb has only fought twice.
It’s clear why Jahanzeb is the underdog – but, we’re told, that doesn’t mean he can’t win. There’s ability there and Ajayi tells me Lynn may be surprised by Jahanzeb’s power.
Lynn has seven stoppages in his nine wins, Jahanzeb only two in eight, but opponents such as Quinn and Brett Fidoe, who have more than 160 losses between them, don’t leave too many gaps for Jahanzeb.
Lynn and Jahanzeb are both success stories already.
The Londoner started boxing at 11, winning four of eight.
“I found it hard to focus on boxing because there was a lot of domestic violence in my house,” said Lynn. “My stepdad was violent and my mum had problems with alcohol.”
Lynn went back to boxing once his life settled down, while Jahanzeb was targeted by racists.
He told [i]BN[i]: “There were hardly any Asian families in the area and there was a lot of racial abuse. My dad was locked up at the time, my sister was two years old and my mum was trying to bring us both up.
“Somebody threw a slab through the window and the glass cut both my legs and hands. I could have bled to death. There was blood everywhere. I survived and things like that shape you into who you are. I know there are bad people out there, but it hasn’t changed the way I see things. I’m still here and now I’m fighting on television. I’ve won already.”
Jahanzeb says his fights “bring the community together” and will be well-supported this weekend. Fanbases and experience are two different things, however. Lynn has proven pedigree, obvious talent and he looks likely to win this one on the cards, providing Jahanzeb’s stamina holds out for his first step up to the 10-round distance.