Shabaz Masoud | |
|---|---|
| Born | 4 March 1996 Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England |
| Other names | Maverick |
| Statistics | |
| Weight(s) | Super bantamweight |
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) |
| Reach | 180 cm (71 in) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 14 |
| Wins | 14 |
| Wins by KO | 4 |
Shabaz Masoud (born 4 March 1996) is a British professional boxer. He has held the IBO super-bantamweight title since November 2024.
Masoud was born in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England on 4 March 1996. He later moved to Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, His family comes from Kalia in Punjab, Pakistan. He attended Staffordshire University, but left his studies to pursue a full-time boxing career. [1] [2]
Masoud made his professional debut against Bulgarian boxer, Stefan Sashev, whom he defeated, on 12 May 2018 at the Bolton Whites Hotel in Bolton. He improved his record to 5 wins and no losses before capturing attention from hall of fame promoter Frank Warren, who signed Masoud to his Queensberry Promotions. Masoud was excited at being promoted by Warren, saying, "You know what, I'm just buzzing to be signed by Frank because I know he is the world's best promoter right now, I personally believe. The way he builds fighters, I know he will build me into a big champion. There are so many he has guided to the top, especially my favourite fighters. For example, Joe Calzaghe, I know he had a lot to do with Joe, and my favourite fighter of all time was Prince Naseem Hamed." Masoud continued to win. In his seventh fight, he won a unanimous decision against Romania’s Stefan Nicolae on 30 November 2019. [3] [4] Masoud did not fight in 2020, like most boxers, due to COVID restrictions. He did however sign a contract to be co-managed by Ben Davison of MTK Global, alongside his existing manager Mervyn Turner. [5]
Masoud scored on his second stoppage win on 19 March 2021 against former English flyweight champion Louis Norman. A series of quick body shots and straight left punches led to Masoud knocking Norman down four times, prompting the referee to stop the fight. It was Masoud's first fight in 16 months. [6] He was next scheduled to fight on a MTK Global card at the York Hall in London on 29 October 2021. His opponent was former British and Commonwealth title challenger James Beech Jr. (13-2, 2 KOs), which was expected to be his most challenging fight to date. [7] On 15 October, the fight was cancelled following Beech's positive COVID-19 test. [8] Four days later, it was announced that he would be competing on the Newcastle show as the co-main event on November 13, 2021, facing off against Diego Alberto Ruiz (23-3, 12 KOs) in a more challenging matchup. Ruiz was known to British fans, having fought Michael Conlan in 2019. [9] During fight week, Thomas Patrick Ward suffered an injury and was forced to withdraw from the card, pushing Masoud to headline his first card. Masoud was thrilled to be part of the main event and believed it would motivate him to perform even better in the fight. [10] [11] The card took place at Rainton Meadows Arena in Houghton-le-Spring. Masoud achieved the most significant victory of his career at the time, by claiming a commanding points win against Ruiz. Masoud dominated throughout the fight which showed on the referee's scorecard, which he scored 99-91 in favour of Masoud. [12]
On 9 February 2022, it was announced that Masoud had entered into a promotional agreement with Probellum, led by Richard Schiefer. After signing the deal, he said, "I'm truly honoured to be signing with Probellum. I have been waiting for an opportunity like this for a while and now it is finally here. I truly believe that I have what it takes to go all the way to the top, and with Probellum now on board, the sky is the limit." The decision was made to boost his boxing career by securing improved promotional backing and expanding his opportunities. [13] [14] His debut was set to take place over 10-rounds on 19 March against French boxer Yoann Boyeaux (43-6, 26 KOs) in Dubai. Boyeaux gained recognition among international fans after facing Naoya Inoue in 2017, where he was defeated in the third round. Masoud aimed to stop him earlier. [15] Both weighed in the same 135.7 pounds. [16] Masoud did what he said and stopped Boyeaux after two rounds. Masoud displayed a complete lack of respect for Boyeaux as he unleashed a series of powerful punches. Midway through the second round, Boyeaux was shaken but managed to stay on his feet, avoiding an official knockdown by holding onto Masoud, which caused both fighters to tumble to the canvas. Boyeaux failed to come out for the third round. [17] [18]
On 16 September, it was announced that Masoud would face Jack Bateson (17-0, 4 KOs) for the WBA Intercontinental super bantamweight title on 11 November 2022. Subsequently, it was confirmed that the event would be held at Utilita Arena in Sheffield, with the bout against Bateson serving as a British title eliminator. [19] [20] The Ali Tazeem Trophy was established by Probellum as an annual award to pay tribute to the late young British boxing talent, Ali Tazeem. The trophy was to be presented to the winner of a high-profile domestic boxing fight. The bout between Masoud and Bateson was selected for the recipient of this honour. [21] [22] Bateson could not understand why Masoud was the bookies favourite heading into their fight. [23] Masoud stopped Bateson in the twelfth round, in what was described as a brilliant fight, to claim the WBA Intercontinental title and a step closer to the British title. Masoud outclassed Bateson in their bout, showcasing superior technique throughout the match before unleashing his power and securing a stoppage in the final round. In the final round, a left hook sent Bateson to the canvas. Although he managed to get up, he was dropped again, this time ruled as a slip. Unable to defend himself, Bateson was subjected to a flurry of punches from Masoud until referee Howard Foster intervened. By the time the fight was halted, Bateson had once again collapsed to the canvas. [24] [25] After the fight, Masoud stated he next wanted to fight in Stoke. [26] [27]
On 30 June 2023, Masoud signed a multi-fight promotional agreement with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing. The deal was finalized after extensive negotiations. By joining Matchroom, Masoud ensured that his upcoming fights would be aired on DAZN. Hearn labelled Masoud as 'one of the brightest Super-Bantamweight contenders in Britain' and trainer Ben Davison expressed his enthusiasm about the new collaboration. Masoud is optimistic that this partnership will help him achieve his goal of becoming a world champion. [28] [29]
Masoud's first fight under Matchroom took place on 11 November 2023, on a NextGen card in Newcastle. His opponent was Jose Sanmartin (34-7, 21 KOs). The fight was originally scheduled to take place three weeks prior on the Jack Catterall-Jorge Linares undercard from M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, however Masoud became ill after the weigh in and the fight was called off. Sanmartin had lost two of his last three fights. [30] The fight was closely contested and went the 10-round distance. Masoud won the fight via split decision and claimed the WBA intercontinental title. The fight was one of the most thrilling fights of the night, and provided a significant challenge for Masoud. Sanmartin gave it his all in the ring and put up an impressive fight, but ultimately, it wasn't sufficient to secure a victory on the scorecards, which read 98-92, 96-94 and 94-96. [31] [32]
In May 2024, Frank Warren announced a 'Magnificent 7' to take place at Resorts World Arena in Birmingham on 20 July with Masoud challenging Liam Davies (17-0, 8 KOs) for his IBO super-bantamweight title. Warren hyped the bout as a "cracking domestic scrap". [33] Four weeks prior to the event, the fight was postponed due to Davies contracting a virus that rendered him unfit to compete. Tristan Davies, Davies' father and trainer, emphasized that the illness was real and condemned the "disrespectful" responses on social media that accused Liam of dodging the fight. [34] [35] Masoud still fought on the same card, outpointing Marvin Solano in an eight-round contest, while the fight with Davies was expected to happen later in the year. Following Masoud's win over Solano, he and Davies had a heated confrontation. The two had history as Masoud had two wins over Davies in the amateurs. Davies was confident in his punching power and considered himself the superior boxer. [36] [37]
The bout between Masoud and Davies was rescheduled to take place on 2 November 2024 at BP Pulse Live in Birmingham. [38] [39] Davies weighed 121.6 pounds and Masoud came in at 121.9 pounds. [40] On the night, Masoud defeated Davies, winning by split decision after 12 competitive rounds. [41] [42] The fight started with Masoud displaying his boxing skills, landing precise jabs and controlling the distance. As the rounds continued, Davies tried to increase the pressure, but he frequently found himself caught by Masoud's counter-strategies. Although he had a few successful moments, Davies faced difficulty in establishing his rhythm. In the fourth round, Davies sustained a cut near his right eye. In the later rounds, Davies demonstrated great determination, however Masoud consistently delivered sharper punches. By the end of the bout, Masoud had proven himself to be a technically proficient fighter. The scorecards read 116-112 and 115-113 in favour of Masoud, while one judge scored it 115-113 for Davies. After the fight, both boxers showed mutual respect, acknowledging each other's performances. Masoud was highly praised after the fight. [43] [44] [45]
Masoud was scheduled to defend his IBO title against Peter McGrail in Birmingham, England, on 21 June 2025. [46] [47] On 4 June, it was revealed that Masoud had suffered an injury in training which would rule him out of the fight. The matchmakers at Matchroom Boxing brought in Romanian boxer Ionut Baluta as a replacement to fight McGrail. [48] [49]
| 14 fights | 14 wins | 0 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 4 | 0 |
| By decision | 10 | 0 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, Time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Win | 14–0 | Liam Davies | SD | 12 | 2 Nov 2024 | Resorts World Birmingham, Birmingham, England | Won IBO super bantamweight title |
| 13 | Win | 13–0 | Marvin Solano | UD | 8 | 20 Jul 2024 | Resorts World Birmingham, Birmingham, England | |
| 12 | Win | 12–0 | Jose Sanmartin | SD | 10 | 11 Nov 2023 | Newcastle Arena, Newcastle upon Tyne, England | Won vacant WBA Inter-Continental super bantamweight title |
| 11 | Win | 11–0 | Jack Bateson | TKO | 12 (12), 2:00 | 11 Nov 2022 | Utilita Arena Sheffield, Sheffield, England | Won WBA Inter-Continental super bantamweight title |
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | Yoan Boyeaux | RTD | 2 (10) | 18 Mar 2022 | Duty Free Tennis Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates | |
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | Diego Alberto Ruiz | PTS | 10 | 13 Nov 2021 | Rainton Meadows Arena, Houghton-le-Spring, England | |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Louis Norman | TKO | 4 (6), 1:12 | 19 Mar 2021 | Bolton Whites Hotel (De Vere Whites), Bolton, England | |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Stefan Nicolae | PTS | 6 | 30 Nov 2019 | Utilita Arena, Birmingham, England | |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Yesner Talavera | PTS | 6 | 12 Oct 2019 | First Direct Arena, Leeds, England | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Brayan Mairena | PTS | 6 | 4 May 2019 | Holte Suite, Villa Park, Birmingham, England | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Jose Hernandez | PTS | 4 | 30 Mar 2019 | King's Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, England | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Cristian Narvaez | PTS | 4 | 26 Oct 2018 | Middleton Arena, Middleton, England | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Johnson Tellez | PTS | 4 | 28 Jul 2018 | Middleton Arena, Middleton, England | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Stefan Sashev | TKO | 3 (4), 1:51 | 12 May 2018 | Bolton Whites Hotel (De Vere Whites), Bolton, England |
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