Sheffield’s Kid Galahad plots world domination after becoming IBF champion

But there were no bath tubs full of bank notes or all-night boat parties on the River Don for Sheffield’s Kid Galahad when he became the fifth fighter out of Wincobank’s world-famous Ingle Gym to win a world title on 7 August.

Not even a slice of cake.

Instead, the humble champ settled for a soak in the tub and a cheese toastie bought from an M&S service station along with some fresh fruit, followed by his usual 5.45am alarm and a workout before heading home.

“I would like to have done the Michael Jordan – a cigar and sipping some champagne – when I unify then I’ll take a picture with that hat on,” the new IBF world champion Galahad promises.

“I don’t take time off because I’m not as talented as them [my stablemates] so I have to be on it even more.

"I’m not as gifted. When I started I wasn’t the best, there were loads of kids better than me. I was just the one who put in the most time.”

Galahad is quite simply a boxing machine. And he doesn’t care if that comes at the expense of being popular.

"In the boxing world a lot of the commentary and stuff is negative towards me because I don’t mix in with no one when I go down to shows, which is very rarely.

"I didn’t mingle with anyone [before the Jazza Dickens rematch] because I was fighting. I’m not bothered. To me that’s the sacrifice of winning and staying on top.”

Still, a “little bit” of emotion was allowed to creep in following the win, 19 years after he first stepped into St Thomas’s Boxing Club and met his late trainer and mentor Brendan Ingle, who tipped him for the top.

"You have got to remember when no one else believed in me Brendan did,” Galahad, whose real name is Abdul Barri-Awad, says.

It was Galahad’s mum, Ginah Ahmed, who first took him to meet Ingle aged 12.

She still lives in Upperthorpe, where her son grew up, and watched him ruthlessly dismantle Jazza Dickens to become world champion.

"She was over the moon,” Galahad adds, “she has never missed a fight, amateur or professional.”

He plans to buy her a new house following the win – but insists his eat, sleep, train, repeat lifestyle won’t change.

"I have still got two arms and two legs. You think your life will change but it really won’t.

"I always look after my money. It’s not really a big, big thing for me [the purse]. I don’t have flashy cars, it doesn’t matter. If I had £10 million I wouldn’t buy a Lamborghini.

"When you come from nothing, you don’t want to go back there.”

With one lifetime ambition achieved, the next goal is to unify the featherweight division – WBO champion Emanuel Navarrete is in his sights after U-turning on the idea of a rematch with Josh Warrington – before moving up to super-featherweight and doing the same.

First up, it is hoped, will be a title defence at Sheffield Arena – close to where it all started – in November or December.