Ramla Ali, long-time friend of Kim Shannon, has been sparring with her former amateur rival at Real Boxing Only gym while Ramla visits Dubai for Expo 2020.
Ali, who is fighting in November, still needs to get her rounds in while she travels, and with Shannon’s recent turn to the professional boxing game — the two former amateurs who once fought in 2016 are now helping each other in the pro game.
Ramla and Kim have been friends and competitors for years — they met while they competed in the same weight category throughout the amateurs and although they fought against each other in 2016, they have remained friends outside the ring. Ramla is a professional boxer who was the first-ever Somali to compete at international level at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The decorated amateur Shannon has been living and teaching in Dubai, for the last three years — and had put her boxing to one side. But like many amateurs the itch to box slowly crept in again and, after almost five years out of the ring, she signed with boxing manager Michelle Kuehn, founder of local Dubai boxing gym Real Boxing Only gym and now Shannon plans to debut by December this year right here in the UAE.
Ramla had her pro debut in 2020 with a clean sweep of 3-0, and she was the No. 1 one supporter when Shannon announced she had turned professional.
Ramla was more than happy to jump in the ring and get back to where they left off with some competitive sparring while she was here in the UAE.
“Ramla is a great boxer, athlete and woman — you can be competitors and still form long lasting relationships outside the ring, that’s the thing about boxing that is so great,” said ‘Showtime’ Shannon. “I knew that after years out of the game it is going to take me a few spars to get back into things, and no one better to test me than an active and skilled boxer like Ramla.
“It is amazing how she has just jumped at the news of me going professional and I feel confident that I have a good support network around me as I take my first steps back into the ring.”
Both boxers are huge champions for the sport of boxing and are ones to watch, when it comes to changing the scenery for females. The respect they have for each other, and the sport is already testament to them as athletes.
