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Boxing: Dearborn's Mohamed Adam prizes family, Yemeni heritage
While it was potentially dangerous, Mohamed Adam thought it right to visit relatives in war-torn Yemen while taking a sabbatical from boxing.
Adam, whose mother and father were born in the besieged Islamic country at the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, doesn’t regret his decision, even though it cost him precious time in the ring.
“I wanted to see my cousins,” said Adam, who at 24 is perhaps one of the best-kept secrets in boxing, a young man from Dearborn who probably could topple top super featherweight contenders in the world right now but has had only one pro bout. “I still have a small family over there, and I didn’t want them to think I’d forgotten them.”
Adam, whose nickname is the “Hawk” — “because I strike my prey fast” — made the trip in 2013, having also been in Yemen in 2007-08.
Though born in Michigan, Adam is fiercely proud of his Arab heritage and how his father, Saleh Adam, worked in the auto industry for Chrysler in Detroit to give him and his eight siblings a chance “to experience the blessings of living in America — the things we have in this country.”
Adam, who was mentored by Kronk Gym legend Emanuel Steward as a youngster and had more than 70 amateur fights, finishing runner-up in his weight class at the 2010 National Golden Gloves Championships, has become a rallying figure in his community in Dearborn.
At his pro debut at the Masonic Temple in February, Adam scored a first-round TKO over Mateo Soto, taking just 38 seconds to render him helpless against the ropes.
Fans of Adam stormed the ring after the referee waved off the fight, singing and beating drums, which Adam saw as good but a little much.
“I think they’ll be more under control this time,” said Adam, who fights Friday night at the International Banquet Center on Monroe Avenue in Detroit against Scott Furney (3-10-1, one KO) of Waterford.
“I was really surprised to see just how many followers I had at the Masonic. They got pretty rowdy.”
Adam, who attended Edsel Ford High, said his fans were “family, friends and some people who had called from New York and Chicago to see me. I guess they believe in me.”
They should. Even though Adam faces a journeyman in Furney, he is a prospect, a boxer with all the punches, combinations and timing.
With his brother-in-law Murad Mohamed orchestrating “Team Adam,” a 12-member squad looking after Adam’s legal, financial, training and public relations needs, all Adam has to do now is keep winning.
“I know I have to bump up in opponents, and we’ll do that,” Adam said. “Friday, I just want to entertain the crowd. After that, I want the best and most talented guys out there. I know I am ready for them.”
Adam has a long way to travel before emulating his all-time favorite boxers — Cincinnati’s Aaron (the Hawk) Pryor, the former world junior welterweight champion, and Prince Naseem Hamed, the Yemeni kid from Sheffield, England, who defeated WBC featherweight champion Cesar Soto at Joe Louis Arena in 1999 and who terrorized fighters in three weight divisions in the ’90s and early 2000s.
Adam met Hamed when he was in Detroit. Adam’s father and Hamed’s dad grew up together in the same small village in Yemen.
“It was unbelievable to have him in our house,” recalled Adam of Naseem’s visit. “I was just a small boy. He is a hero of mine. I hope one day the Prince comes to one of my fights.”
Adam, who trains at the Downtown Boxing Club under Nelson Figueroa, is hurt and saddened by what is going on in Yemen, he said.
“We just want peace,” Adam said. “That’s our message. We are proud to be Arab American. We consider this our home here. We love America. We are also proud of our Arab heritage. But neighbors killing neighbors is just wrong.”
Adam wants to make his family and community in Dearborn especially proud of him.
“My father worries about me in the ring,” Adam said. “But I’ll be fine. Emanuel Steward once told me it is possible to go from zero to being a world champion with hard work. I was crushed when he passed away. I’ll never forget his advice.”
Friday night fights
What: Pro boxing (Aherns Promotions/Carlos Llinas Productions).
Where: International Banquet Center, eighth floor, 400 Monroe St., Detroit.
When: 7 p.m. Friday (doors open at 6).
Who: Main event: Mohamed Adam (1-0. 1 KO), Dearborn, vs. Scott Furney (3-10-1, 1 KO), Waterford, in super featherweight bout; plus seven more fights.
Tickets: From $30, available at door.
More info: Call 313-963-1400.
Source: www.freep.com