Last night at The Sheffield Arena, heavyweight Kash Ali scored an impressive third-round TKO over Czechoslovakia’s Tomas Salek. Ali of Rotherham (born in Birmingham) dropped the 22-year-old in round two, then put him down again in the third.
Salek got up before ten, but the ref had seen enough, and the fight was stopped. Ali is now 19-1(10), and he picked up the vacant IBF European strap with last night’s win. Salek, who was stopped for the second time in his career, falls to 15-3(13).
If you are familiar with 29-year-old Ali’s name, chances are it’s because of the “bite fight” he was disqualified in against David Price, this back in March of 2019. Ali was suspended for a significant amount of time due to his disgraceful actions but now he says he is a changed person – one who should not be judged by one “silly mistake.” Trained by former heavyweight Richard Towers, Ali looked good last night.
Fast for a reasonably big guy, Ali moved well and his right uppercut was a potent weapon all night. Firing the shot often, and fast, Ali busted Salek’s nose with the shot in round two, and soon after he opened a bad cut to the side of Salek’s eye, this in the third. Ali then dropped his man with the uppercut in round three, this the second time in the short fight, and the win was his – his fourth since the Price DQ.
Ali says he wants a rematch with Price, to “right the wrong,” while he is also calling for a fight with Fabio Wardley. Both fights would prove interesting and worth seeing. But Ali has to keep his nose clean. Biting an opponent is just about the most disgusting foul one boxer can commit on another, and Ali did it more than once in the Price fight.
What do you think: does Ali deserve a second go at Price? If you were Price, would you fight Ali again? Price, 25-7(20) has not fought since being stopped by Dereck Chisora back in October of 2019.
