{"id":10009,"date":"2012-01-04T18:17:19","date_gmt":"2012-01-04T18:17:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tat.reddaisytrading.co.uk\/index.php\/2012\/01\/04\/exclusive-from-yorkshire-to-las-vegas\/"},"modified":"2012-01-04T18:17:19","modified_gmt":"2012-01-04T18:17:19","slug":"exclusive-from-yorkshire-to-las-vegas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theasiantoday.com\/index.php\/2012\/01\/04\/exclusive-from-yorkshire-to-las-vegas\/","title":{"rendered":"EXCLUSIVE: From Yorkshire to Las Vegas"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Student Fes Batista secures monster Boxing deal with the Mayweathers\u2019<\/h3>\n
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BOXING great Floyd Mayweather and his team live by the motto \u2018We Make Champions\u2019 – and they may just have found one in the form of Huddersfield amateur boxer Mohammed Faisal.<\/strong> <\/div>\n

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The 21-year-old University student, better known as \u2018Fes Batista\u2019, has been snapped up by the American boxing family who have tipped him as a potential world boxing champion. \u00a0<\/div>\n

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Fes, an amateur boxer who lives with his family in Crossland Moor, Huddersfield, was invited by the Mayweather camp to a special training session in Las Vegas last summer after they watched videos of the Yorkshire lad in action. <\/div>\n

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And after impressing in the ring, Fes\u2019s boxing dreams came true when he was offered a deal to become part of the Mayweather fraternity.<\/div>\n

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The Manchester Metropolitan University student will fly back to Vegas later this year as he embarks on a sporting career which could take him to the very top.<\/div>\n

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\u201cIt was like some fantasy coming to life,\u201d Fes told The Asian Today in an Exclusive interview. <\/div>\n

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\u201cI really couldn\u2019t\u00a0believe that they would have an interest in me; I mean I\u2019m just\u00a0a boy from Yorkshire! Why would the world\u2019s best in Las Vegas be interested in me? My world has been turned upside down and I haven\u2019t looked back since.\u201d<\/div>\n

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Fes trained with boxer Floyd Mayweather\u2019s uncles Roger and Jeff who put the University student through his paces. <\/div>\n

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\u201cThey wanted to see if I really did have this explosive punching power and potential and believe me I made sure they felt it,\u201d Fes reveals. \u00a0<\/div>\n

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\u201cThe training was really enjoyable and I got to meet Floyd who was hard in training for his fight against Victor Ortiz.\u201d<\/div>\n

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So impressed were the Mayweather clan with Fes they offered him a deal immediately \u2013 a moment the young student will never forget. <\/div>\n

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Fes will return to Vegas later this year as he embarks on an opportunity of a lifetime. <\/div>\n

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But he\u2019s adamant he will finish his Coaching and Sports Development studies at Manchester Metropolitan University before thinking of boxing full time \u2013 a wish respected by the Mayweather clan. <\/div>\n

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\u201cThey understand I am at University here and they respect that so they said I must come for a minimum of two months\u00a0this summer for an intense training camp which will include sparring, pad work, bag work and maybe even a chance to spar with some of their world champions or Olympic boxers,\u201d Fes says. <\/div>\n

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\u201cMy immediate focus is getting my body in the best condition with my strength coach Junior George and focusing still on the amateurs. The long term aim is to move to America; I love the culture and the people; it\u2019s like a perfect place for me.\u201d<\/div>\n

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During his time in Vegas, Fes took a break from training to watch fellow Brit boxer Amir Khan\u2019s successful title defence against Zeb Judah. <\/div>\n

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A close friend of Khan, Fes credits the boxer as the inspiration behind his push in taking boxing seriously. \u00a0<\/div>\n

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\u201cUp until a couple of years ago boxing had been on and off for me,\u201d Fes reveals. <\/div>\n

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\u201cI started properly at the age of 14 then stopped at 16 and restarted at 19. I saw Amir Khan doing so well and I thought wow look at all the respect he gets I want that! When he started to become a friend and encourage me that\u2019s when it really kicked in and I decided boxing was my path.\u201d\u00a0<\/div>\n

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Fes knows he has the luxury of calling on two of the world\u2019s best boxers in Bolton\u2019s finest and Floyd Mayweather for advice as he plots his rise to sporting stardom. <\/div>\n

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\u201cFloyd is one of the greatest boxers ever, he is someone who I look up to and try to learn from,\u201d Fes says. \u201cBoth as a boxer and a person we have similar personalities. \u00a0We are both rather fiery individuals when we train and fight and it felt great to meet him and see how hard he trains; it really motivated me to work just as hard. <\/div>\n

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\u201cBefore I was due to fly out to Vegas last summer I was nervous and confused because I didn\u2019t really know what to expect, but I spoke with Amir and he told me everything would be fine.<\/div>\n

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\u201cAmir has done a fantastic job and I am very proud of his achievements. He is a proud British Asian and has handled every situation really well; he is truly an idol.<\/div>\n

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\u201cHis hard work and dedication has been unbelievable and I think he will win many more world titles.\u201d<\/div>\n

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Back home in Huddersfield, Fes\u2019s family are slowly coming to terms with the idea they could possibly count a world champion boxer as one of their own.<\/div>\n

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As a five year old Fes would find himself with his hands wrapped in towels and sparring with his father, a keen sportsman whose participation in football and cricket was cut short due to injury. <\/div>\n

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\u201cMy family have been great and they always try to motivate me and keep my feet on the ground,\u201d says Fes. <\/div>\n

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\u201cThey keep reminding me that this opportunity I have is literally\u00a0one in a million chance and I must take it. My friends have also helped me more now since this deal took place. They always tell me to train like no tomorrow. <\/div>\n

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\u201cMy friends and family are always looking out for me and look after me. My family are very proud of me and I want to continue making them proud by working hard and dedicating myself.\u201d<\/div>\n

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For the time being Fes knows the hard work starts now as he looks to gain experience in the amateurs before eventually going professional. <\/div>\n

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\u201cI want to get between 30 to 50 fights experience before turning pro and I want a positive amateur record so I plan to condition myself so I am in perfect condition before I get into a ring again. The goal is to eventually turn pro when I\u2019m ready. <\/div>\n

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\u201cI am a power puncher and heavy handed punchers like me last a lot. But I can\u2019t get ahead of myself\u00a0 so the first thing is getting my experience in the amateurs both here and in America.\u201d<\/div>\n

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Fes hopes his\u00a0journey from Huddersfield to Las Vegas\u00a0will act as an inspiration for young British Asians to follow their dreams. <\/div>\n

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Working with youngsters in his community on a regular basis, Fes knows the pitfalls of spending a life roaming the streets with nothing to do and no goals in life. <\/div>\n

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\u201cI was on the streets as a youngster myself and I know how their minds operate,\u201d Fes reveals.<\/div>\n

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\u201cThankfully I got myself out. Now I see kids in the position where I was, almost at a crossroads in life and not knowing which direction to go. So I go out and speak to them in their style and tell them about what boxing can get you – the respect, the money, the fame and the girls! That\u2019s usually enough for them to actually listen to me and youngsters usually have a lot of aggression built up inside them so I get them to take it out in a positive way by taking them on the pads. They always say thank you and always appreciate it. I have sent many youngsters to boxing gyms after literally seeing them causing trouble in the streets. Boxing can cure a lot of violence issues in my opinion especially with the Asian community.\u201d<\/div>\n

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And one youngster who Fes is keen on passing his experience and knowledge on to is younger brother Mohammed, an 18-year-old student. <\/div>\n

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\u201cMohammed is really keen on boxing and everything I learn from the Mayweather camp I pass on to him. He\u2019s doing really well and he could be boxing soon!\u201d<\/div>\n

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For the time being, Fes is focussed on his own development as a boxer. <\/div>\n

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And with the lights of Las Vegas beckoning him, the 21-year-old knows he has the drive, determination and fight to become another British boxing champion. <\/div>\n

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\u201cWith the help of the Mayweather\u2019s I know I can use this to my advantage and become a World Champion one day just like Amir Khan was. It\u2019s a long road away but I know I can do it.\u201d<\/div>\n

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To keep up to date on Fes\u2019s progress log onto his Facebook Fan Page<\/em><\/div>\n

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Boxer Fes Batista is hoping to use his experience to promote unity amongst Brits, Americans and Muslims worldwide. His fan T-shirt \u2013 pictured below – is a prime example of this. The t-shirt is available to purchase for \u00a310 and is available to buy now. Log onto his Facebook Fan Page for more information.<\/em><\/div>\n

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Student Fes Batista secures monster Boxing deal with the Mayweathers\u2019 BOXING great Floyd Mayweather and his team live by the motto \u2018We Make Champions\u2019 – and they may just have found one in the form of Huddersfield amateur boxer Mohammed Faisal. The 21-year-old University student, better known as \u2018Fes Batista\u2019, has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11753,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10009","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sport"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theasiantoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10009","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theasiantoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theasiantoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theasiantoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theasiantoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10009"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.theasiantoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10009\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theasiantoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11753"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theasiantoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theasiantoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10009"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theasiantoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}