Rear View Mirror: Kid Galahad

Rear View Mirror: A look back at the career of Sheffield stylist Kid Galahad

GBN's Caledonian columnist, Donald C Stewart, takes a look back in his rear view mirror at the career of Sheffield's Kid Galahad

“We used to rob people every day. We’d get their money and rob their phone. Then just after I started boxing, I stopped” Abdul-Bari Awad (Kid Galahad).

On the 15th of July 2017, that kid climbed into a ring to continue a redemption and his ascent towards his destiny – a world title. Considering his beginnings, it is a remarkable tale, but it is also one told with a caveat – many felt he was unworthy of the opportunity to scale the heights of world honours.

It had been a long and arduous road for him, and his name did not meet with universal support within or outside the boxing community. His abilities, however, were not only serious they made him a very serious prospect in his hunt to become a world champion. After all Prince Naseem Hamed had championed his name.

Qatari born, Abdul-Bari Awad or as he became better known, Kid Galahad, 28-3, 17 KOs of Sheffield, came to the UK as a child. He arrived after the Gulf War, grew up on tough streets, was trained by Bernard Ingle, and served a ban from boxing, for the use of illegal substances. At that time of his punishment, he was the former British, Commonwealth and European bantamweight title holder.

His ring name, chosen for him by his legendary trainer Ingle, comes from a film character played by Elvis Presley. His life is one that could have been the inspiration of his own film plot.

His early life was tough, and he was acutely aware, from a young age that he had to find an outlet for his fists. Growing up he was in the right lane for the wrong future – one of prison and gang warfare. He took his warrior spirit into the Ingle’s gym at the suggestion of Sheffield native, Prince Naseem Hamed; a hero of his. It may have taken his mum about an hour to find the Ingle gym, but it was the most productive hour she ever spent in a car.

In 2009, Galahad made his first appearance as a professional and beat a journey man for whom I have great affection – Delroy Spencer. Spencer was an incredible servant to the sport and his defeat on points was, as it was for many, very good learning for young Galahad.

Galahad’s dedication to the sport saw him take a load of dead-end jobs to keep him training. Ingle continued his education in boxing by taking Galahad to shows to see what he could achieve if he continued his dedication. A Yemeni, like Hamed. A Sheffield native, like Hamed. Trained by Bernard Ingle, like Hamed, the comparisons were obvious.

By 2012 Galahad was ready for his first title and in his 10th professional fight he took on Jason Booth in Rotherham for the WBC international super bantamweight championship. His star was very much in the ascendency as he beat Booth on points.

He then successfully defended the WBC title against Josh Wale in Sheffield. He won the British title against James “Jazza” Dickens in September 2013 when he stopped him in the 10th round in Rotherham. Sergio Prado was dispensed with for the European belt before he took the vacant Commonwealth title after Fred Munraby retired after 4 rounds of action against him. In 2014 as Glasgow held their first Commonwealth Games, Galahad was unbeaten and, on the way, up. He then won the IBF Youth super bantamweight title against Adeilson Dos Santos by unanimous decision.

What could possibly go wrong.  After all, it seemed there would only be one thing stopping him from reaching world honours – himself

“UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) has today confirmed that former British, European and WBC International Super Bantamweight boxing champion Abdul Barry Awad, also known as Kid Galahad, has been suspended from all sport for two years following an Anti-Doping Rule Violation.

Awad (25) from Sheffield, tested positive for a metabolite of stanozolol, an exogenous anabolic androgenic steroid, following an in-competition test on 20 September 2014, after a bout against former WBO Super Bantamweight champion and former WBC World Youth champion Adeilson Dos Santos.”

In May 2015 Galahad was banned for 2 years. He protested his innocence though many on the circuit called for him to be banned for life. There were a few including Scott Quigg and Carl Frampton who had very harsh words for the young lad, but he sucked it up and appealed.

Galahad was backed both by his coach, Ingle and many others within the sport including Tyson Fury, who were clear that the reason given by Galahad, that his drink had been spiked, was utterly true. The amount found in his system was also so low that it was hard to measure so many thought his punishment – a two-year ban – was severe and harsh. It meant that few were surprised when the appeal was not wholly unsuccessful as his ban, which had already been backdated, was cut by six months.

He got back in the ring on the 30th of April 2016 when he stopped Simas Volosinas in the 4th round.

With such a lengthy absence, it was clear he was not going to be fighting for a world title any time soon. Back on the treadmill of world title honours he faced very tough Mexican, Jose Cayetano, for the vacant IBF Inter-Continental featherweight title.

For Galahad redemption came, not just from winning against Cayetano but taking on some of the guys who domestically called him a cheat. Cayetano had been stopped in the 9th round by Scott Quigg, so people were able to measure Galahad’s progress before he was able to get into the mix with more exalted company for real redemption.

Ironically Cayetano was not his scheduled opponent. That was Dennis Ceylan, but Ceylan tested positive for cocaine so was unable to fulfil his obligations!

In 2019 Galahad was going to get his first crack at a world title. Josh Warrington, one of Galahad’s harshest critics had to defend the IBF featherweight world title he had won against Lee Selby against him. Things got feisty. Warrington did not want the fight and openly called Galahad a cheat and a disgrace to the sport.

It meant little to Galahad. Ingle and his gym had prepared him for such challenges as he described, “Brendan would desensitise it for me.” Given his background and how far Galahad had come, the boy who once would rob, his transformation was admirable.

On Saturday the 15th of June, by split decision, Galahad came close but lost. Difficult to score, but not hard to watch, Warrington proved his pedigree but got a bit of a fright as Galahad was close – many believed he had won it.

Into 2020 and just before we all hid in cupboards with masks on, Galahad beat Claudio Marrero in Sheffield before getting that IBF belt on the 7th of August 2021 when he beat Jazza Dickens in the Matchroom HQ Garden when Dickens retired after the 11th round.

A few months later he lost the belt to Kiko Martinez when he was stopped in the 6th round on the 13th of November in Sheffield. Galahad had struggled to make weight for that fight, coming in over the limit at the first attempt. Galahad was not finished fighting in world title fights.

2022 with the IBO lightweight crown on the line against Maxi Hughes, Galahad fought in a scrappy affair, according to Ring Magazine, with Galahad deducted a point in round 10 for a headbutt. That point proved critical as Hughes won a majority decision. If Galahad had not lost that point, it would have been a draw.

It was his last professional fight. He arrived with promise, he hit the bumps and became a world champion but never quite delivered what people thought he should. But his value to the sport is not just his heritage but his representation of a fighter who took on adversity and perhaps came away with a majority decision. As such, divisive figures shall always be on the end of some harsh judgment. It just depends on whose scorecards you cast an eye to come up with your opinion. For me, it’s a positive but that is likely to split opinion, just like Galahad did.