Calgary boxer Habib ready to turn pro with Dekada

Olympus fighter will be on card Feb. 15 at Deerfoot Casino

Angelo Habib is going pro.

And the Calgary native will do it with the backing of Dekada, taking the first and most important step of his boxing career with the local promotion machine.

“I’m going into this to take it all the way to the top,” Habib said. “I’ve made a promise to myself to give my absolute everything in this sport, and I won’t settle for less. Feb. 15 is the green light for my world title chase to begin.”

That’s when Dekada Contender returns to action for one of four fights during the 2020 calendar at Deerfoot Inn & Casino.

The first one will come off Feb. 15, which includes Habib making his professional debut.

“I have compiled an amateur record of 47-3, with two national titles, two provincial championships and a Golden Gloves championship,” said amateur star Habib. “I’ve fought internationally on many occasions and have gotten tons of experience and knowledge from coaches and training camps I’ve attended in the USA. I have decided to skip the Olympic trials to focus on my professional career, as I feel more than ready and I have set many goals for myself.”

When I sat down with Habib and his older brother/mentor George and his new venture into the ‘business’ of pro boxing, it was important to find out who he is outside of being more than just a boxing talent. We want to know what he made of.

“My parents fled the Gulf War in Iraq (1991),” Habib said. “They left all their belongings from their house to their cars and everything in between to seek a better life for themselves and my older brother, George. They fled to Bulgaria and then made their way to Greece to seek refuge. A few years passed and I was born in Athens, Greece in 1995. After 1½ years, my family received their papers to move to Calgary, and ever since I’ve called this city my home.

“I grew up in the NE. We didn’t have much. My mother enrolled me at Dynamic Martial Arts at the age of 7. I joined my first boxing club at the age of 12, and from there I realized this was the martial art for me, and I quickly knew this is what I wanted to do in the long run.

“I grew up working for everything I had. I’ve had a job since I was 12 years old — I would pump gas at a gas station my father worked at to help him out, and I would do chores around the house — shovel neighbours’ sidewalks ... anything to get myself new boxing gear. My brother was my inspiration growing up, as together we would do extra training in the basement and he would drive me to all my boxing classes. We would watch highlight reels before bed of Roy Jones Jr., Floyd Mayweather, Juan Manuel Marquez and many other all-time greats.

“This gave me the motivation to train hard and the desire to reach for the top. My life now consists of 100 per cent pure boxing — from running our gym (Olympus Boxing Club), which is turning five years old in 2020, to training and developing myself every day to reach my goals and help others reach theirs, inside and outside of the ring.”

“Now, of course, before I agree to work with anyone, we meet and discuss expectations from both sides and I do my best to explain the switch from amateur to pro.

“Not only are the equipment and rules a little different, but I explain and do my best to demonstrate how the stakes are higher in everything you do.”

We all love to follow the beginnings and get excited for the new pro, but Angelo, be careful what you wish for — sometimes, you get it.

Beginning Feb. 15, you’re about to experience your highest highs, and one day, maybe even your lowest lows.

But I assure you, it’ll be worth every bit of blood, sweat, soul, and tears!

May 16, Sept. 19, and Nov. 7 are the remaining Dekada dates to add to your fight-fix calendar at Deerfoot Inn & Casino.

So in the meantime and in between time, that’s it for another edition of Mr. Boxing YYC.