Aljon Bashi is still new to professional boxing and a ticket seller who brings loud and raucous cheers. But just before Sunday night’s game, he’ll have his eyes on the empty seats.
He always leaves a chair empty in memory of his father.
When Bashi was still a teenager, his father suddenly suffered a heart attack and died.
“My father was my hero. He was definitely a big influence on me,” Basi told Sky Sports. “It was very reassuring to have someone so supportive of me. A good father is the only person in the world who wants you to be better than them.
“I still get goosebumps when I talk about him. When we fight, I always leave an empty chair for my father.”
He explained: “Whenever I used to go to a fight, when I got in the ring, the first thing I looked at was my dad. I would always look out, and when he would nod, I’d think, ‘Okay, it’s time to go.’ Now, I look out, look at my seat, and nod, because…he’s there, I know he’s there.”
Bashi honors his father when fighting
Bashi, 25, was enjoying a promising amateur career when his father passed away. He almost lost his way in the sport.
“The next two years were a really, really strong mental battle and really tough,” he said. “My father was a big part of my boxing life.
“I remember some of the conversations we had back then and it kindles that spark again.
“That’s a big factor for me.”
He still had hurdles to overcome. He damaged tendons in his right wrist and then tore ligaments in his left wrist, which threatened to end his boxing career.
“They did an MRI, did all the scans, and said, ‘Look, you’re going to have a hard time picking up your kids when you grow up, you should never box again.’ Those are really tough things. Those are things I don’t want to hear,” Basi recalled.
“It felt like the whole world was coming at me. Boxing is not just a hobby, it’s my life.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t shed a tear or two when I was told I couldn’t do it again. It was a very difficult time.”
Somehow Basi got it back. “It held up really well,” he said. “I was randomly told, ‘This is a miracle, there’s no way it’s going to get better, you can go back.'”
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Caroline Dubois and Terry Harper headline Olympia in Kensington
But then he may have lost more than just his boxing career. “I was just randomly feeling dizzy and really out of breath,” he explained. “I had a blood clot in my lung.
“They told me you had a pulmonary embolism, which is really life-threatening.
“If I had let it go for a few more days, the conversation, if it even happened at all, could have gone very differently. It was a very dangerous situation that I was in.”
That was the moment he almost gave up. “I looked up at the sky and wondered if this was my signal to stop. Is something pulling me away?”
But he did not despair. He kept pushing. “I just had to keep my heart strong and push through.”
Bashi has regained his health and is currently in the second fight of his professional career. He is scheduled to compete in a preliminary match at the Olympia in Kensington before the card is televised.
He continues to enjoy the journey, especially with that tremendous support.
“Boxing runs in my family, everyone in my family boxed,” he said. “Honestly, it (his support) is insane. If you heard York Hall on my debut, I swear it was a blast. It was crazy.
“I went outside and just heard this roar and the next thing I knew I was smiling and laughing…”
Watch Dubois vs. Harper and Scotney vs. Flores live on Sky Sports from 7pm on Sunday.
