Saudi boxer Mo Alakel on training with Roberto Duran and world title dreams

Al Arabiya

21-03-2025

Mo Alakel has fought three times in his native Saudi Arabia since turning professional last year; on each occasion his hand has been held aloft as the victor, with Alakel soaking up the acclaim of the partisan crowds in Riyadh.
The 20-year-old boxer's most recent outing in the Kingdom saw him beat Engel Gomez on points in a super-featherweight bout that appeared on the undercard of Beterbiev vs. Bivol 2 on February 22.
Alakel had previously begun his pro career with a win against Jesus Gonzalez last October, following it up with a points victory over Joshua Ocampo on the Fury vs Usyk 2 undercard in December.
It means Alakel is now 3-0 and insists he is feeling more at home fighting alongside some of the biggest names in boxing.
'It was kind of surreal the first time, especially seeing the TV cameras and screens because I've been a very big boxing fan since I was a little kid,' Alakel recalled in an exclusive interview with Al Arabiya English.
'I just tried to soak it all in – it was a crazy experience. It was – and still is – amazing fighting in Saudi Arabia because all my family are there supporting me. It's just a dream come true for me.'
He went on to say the second fight felt a lot easier to him and 'played out perfectly.'
'The second fight felt a lot easier and just played out perfectly and then last time I was pretty upset on the night as I was hoping for a stoppage, but looking back at it, I actually performed pretty well,' he said.
'Honestly, I don't really feel the pressure of being a Saudi fighter because I just really trust the process. I train really hard and there are no shortcuts, so I always trust my ability to perform on the night and I enjoy being out there.'
Being on the same card as the likes of Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury, Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev so early in his career has provided Alakel a remarkable opportunity to pick the brains of fighters who many aspiring boxers wouldn't usually be able to get near.
The young Saudi has even had the chance to work with legendary Panamanian four-weight world champion Roberto Duran.
'I trained with Roberto for three weeks in my last camp and learned a lot from him – he's a legend,' Alakel said. 'He wants everything to be perfect so sometimes when he was teaching me something on the bag, he'd go crazy even if I made just a little mistake. But this is why he was a champion.'
He continued, 'People see these guys [Fury, Usyk, Bivol and Beterbiev] as celebrities or stars, but when you actually sit down and talk to them, they're very human. They're very dedicated to their craft, they are hard-working people.'
They've even given him some tips, according to Alakel.
'The normal stuff like keep working hard, focus on what you want to achieve and don't get distracted. It's great having guys like that around,' he added.
Alakel's career may have burst into life over the past 18 months, but he has spent the past decade honing his craft. At the age of 10, he moved to Scotland, where his father was studying for his PhD at Edinburgh University. It was here that Alakel first began boxing and 'fell in love with it straight away.'
'At first I just did it for the enjoyment,' Alakel reflected. 'I loved sparring every day, training every day; the vibe of the gym and the guys I trained with. Then one of the boxing coaches there saw potential in me and that's when I started thinking I could actually maybe do something with boxing.'
It wasn't only his coach who felt the Saudi teenager had something. Alakel's father posted some videos of him boxing online and they caught the attention of Turki Alalshikh, the Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority and now arguably the most influential figure in world boxing.
'I feel like he has transformed boxing for the better,' Alakel said of Alalshikh. 'More people are talking about the sport, more people are watching the fights.'
'His involvement has made boxing better and obviously that has also been great for Saudi Arabia with the country hosting the fights.'
Alalshikh may have brought the globe's biggest boxing stars to the Kingdom in recent years, but he is also determined to develop Saudi talent. Which is why, in 2023, he connected Alakel with Joe Gallagher, the Manchester-based trainer who helped build the careers of world champions including Callum Smith, Anthony Crolla, Natasha Jonas, Paul Butler and Scott Quigg.
'It's a very inspiring, motivating place to be,' Alakel said of Gallagher's Gym in Manchester. 'I've been training with Joe and the champions he's been coaching, like [two-time bantamweight world champion] Paul Butler. We push each other and I'm being shown every day what it means to be a champion.'
'Joe has obviously achieved a lot with all his years of experience. He's a great coach who is firstly very organized - which is great for me as this is how I like working,' added.
'Manchester is a real boxing city. I know that Amir Khan and Tyson Fury have had big fights here and I love that there are boxing gyms everywhere and a lot of small amateur shows. For where I am now at the start of my career, it is a great place to be.'
The boxing world was left stunned a couple of months ago when 56-year-old Gallagher, a hugely respected figure in the sport, announced that he had stage four bowel and liver cancer. Alakel admits it hit his fighters hard.
'It's really sad news and we were all surprised and shocked of course,' the young Saudi fighter said. 'We're all with Joe and he's just been carrying on and trying to get through it which is very inspiring.'
Alakel feels he owes it to Gallager to continue to forge ahead with his pro career. His ultimate aim is to give Gallagher's Gym another world champion.
'This year I want to stay as busy as possible and keep representing Saudi Arabia. I know I have just got to keep training hard, slowly building up my record and hopefully then I can reach the top,' he said.
'I wouldn't be boxing if I didn't want to be a champion.'