Takaloo ready to Rock and roll

Takaloo could be forgiven if he had other things on his mind during preparations for his second world title challenge in the new year.

The Iranian, based in England, is fighting against deportation back to a homeland he has not seen for 22 years.

He has been given a one-year extension to fight his case for exceptional leave which will enable him finally to gain citizenship of a country he has represented at schoolboy and senior amateur levels.

In the midst of his most important battle he must somehow put his mind to winning the vacant WBU light-middleweight crown when he meets Irishman Jim Rock in Belfast on February 1.

Takaloo – real name Mehrdud Takalobigashi – told PA Sport: “I am suffering because I’ve been fighting this for such a long time and it can’t help but affect me and my family.

“I’ve been offered top quality sparring in America but is is hard to travel under exceptional leave. It has been hard but I hope that holding a version of the world title will strengthen my case.

“This is my country now. I was brought up and educated here. I have a girlfriend and a six-month old daughter and I have never been back to Iran - although I would like to visit some time.”

Takaloo’s rise to the ranks of world title challenger with an impressive 19-3 record is, literally, a Rocky story.

He was inspired to fight when he was nine years old and watched Sylvester Stallone’s seminal boxing movie on television in his family’s modest Margate home.

“We came over to England when I was six because my father was a businessman and lost everything in the war.

“There were six of us living in a one-bedroom flat and to begin with I couldn’t speak a word of English

“We were all sitting there watching this Rocky film and I thought, this is how I’m going to get out of all this crappy stuff.

“I was getting picked on at school and getting into plenty of tear-ups. It is tough in Margate because nothing ever happens. I told my dad to take me down to the gym and that is where it all started.”

Takaloo’s family – most of whom are now in Australia – were first served with deportation papers seven years ago and it almost scuppered his big fight plans as he fell to conclusive defeats against Jawaid Khaliq and Michael Jones.

But under super-fit trainer and former European featherweight champion Jim McDonnell, Takaloo has gradually turned his career and his life around.

The bullies have long since been replaced by an adoring army of fans who thronged Cardiff Castle four months ago when their man’s first world title challenge against WBO king Daniel Santos ended in a points defeat.

McDonnell said: “Takaloo learnt more in that one fight against Santos than he did in all his other fights put together. He was inconsolable after that fight and that’s the way I wanted him to be.

“He’s ready for another challenge now and I honestly believe that if he got the fight with Santos again he would beat him.”

Takaloo was hampered by a bad cut from the end of the first round onwards and even though he floored the champion he was never going to steal the verdict.

“If I was more experienced I would have outboxed him. I worried about the cut too much and I panicked. I felt so much stronger and better than him but I put too much pressure on myself by searching for the knockout.

“I’ve learnt so much for the Jim Rock fight. I’ve got over the depression and the frustration I felt because of the deportation problem. Finally I will be able to go out there and prove what I can do.”