The ancient art of boxing goes by many monikers nowadays, from the ‘Sweet Science’, to the ‘Cerebral Sport’ and, by some of the more pragmatic pundits, ‘The Mug’s Game’.  One thing, however, is constant and that is the sheer dedication and hard work it takes to become a pugilist.

The first thing that strikes you about Haithem Laamouz is the way he exudes confidence. At 25, he has already had two professional bouts, one in Sydney and one here  in Malta. The first was a split decision points win against Gearoid Clancy, a former Irish amateur champion who was 2-0 before the bout.

His second win was against Ravil Mukhamadiyarov, who he beat by TKO in the fifth round at the Montekristo Estates in July. His next fight is this Friday at the old Corradino Prison Grounds, where he to face Estonian opponent Markko Moisar, 22, in the main event. Moisar has a record of 1-0 with one win by KO.

Eat, sleep, train repeat

But what does being a boxer involve on a daily basis? Haithem fights in the 61 kilogramme category. He normally weighs 64 kilos, but goes on a strict fasting routine days before the fight to get down to the fighting weight.

Haithem takes his mantra from a popular song doing the rounds. “I eat well, I train two to three times a day, I drinks lots of water and I get a lot of rest in so my body can recover,” he explains.  “In essence, I eat, I sleep, I train and I do it all again the next day.”

I asked Haithem what that actually means. “Well, the total time in a day that is dedicated to training is about three to four hours and involves a lot of running for conditioning, swimming, sparring with partners and weights. I also run personal training classes on a daily basis,” he said. He trains five or six times a week.

Surely, he must need a lot of calories to keep that up. “Well, I eat a lot, I eat about five or six meals a day,” he said.

Why box?

Haithem has been boxing since he was 15. He has had 62 amateur fights, of which he has won 52 and won numerous tournaments and titles. I ask what the difference is to pro boxing. “Amateur boxing is all about point scoring, whereas with pro boxing, you need to show more skill, heart and determination. Of course, in pro boxing there is no head gear and the gloves pack a stiffer punch,” he said.

Haithem has fought all over the world, including Europe, Morocco and Australia. I ask him why he does it. “Put simply, because I love it, I could not imagine doing anything else. It’s my passion.”

Haithem has built up quite a large fan base in Malta, most notably because of his style. Not only is he as quick as lightning, but he has monstrous power that he can let fly at blistering pace. Watching him train for a fight is an eye-opener. Haithem is my personal coach, but the boxing fitness he teaches our class is nothing like his own regime. He sprints up Kirxa Hill and does press ups once he gets to the top. Runs back down and does it all again. And that’s before he even hits the gym.

But it is in the gym that his talent really comes to the fore. Watching Haithem on the speed bag or hitting the pads with partner is almost hard to do. ‘The Flash’ as they call him, can let a flurry of punches out so quickly that your eyes play tricks on you.  When he trains hard for the last few weeks for a fight, Haithem goes into what he calls ‘beast mode’.  He fully intends to become a household name and wants to emulate his boxing heroes James Toney and Tommy ‘The Hitman’ Hearns in becoming a pro champion in the future.

Personal training

Haithem has been building up for his next fight for a few weeks now and he fully expects to win. And that is where the confidence comes in, which is something that he passes on as a personal trainer.

He teaches class at Lord’s Gym in St Julian’s. “My classes have all sorts of people in them. Men, women, people recovering from injuries, people trying to lose weight, people wanting to learn boxing skills, teenagers and older people,” he said with a wink, which was probably a dig he took at me.

Haithem says his mission as a personal trainer is to bring the best out of people and to help people be the best that they can be. He encourages everyone to be the best they can be and to make themselves push as hard as they can. “At the end of the day, you get out of training what you put into it,” he said.

This weekend

Haithem’s fight this Friday night will be the main event on the whole card. I ask him what it feels like to be cheered by the crowd on his ring entrance. “I am fiercely patriotic and the feeling you experience when people cheer you to the ring is unbelievable. I really value my supporters and I always want to show them the best of my talent and give them a fight to remember.” I ask him whether he feels ready. “I am ready to rumble,” he says with a smile. I ask who will win. “Me, no doubt”.

 

Fact file

Name: Haithem Laamouz

Age: 25

Nationality: Maltese

Profession: Boxer and personal trainer

Weight class: 61 kilograms

Pro fight record: 2 wins 0 defeats

 

Amateur fight record: 52 wins

 

Photos and video: Jonathan Borg