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Nahir Albright is out to prove he does more than sing on ShoBox

Fighters Network
16
Feb

Every other year, it seemed, Nahir Albright found himself in a new, cramped place. He would hear other kids in school talk about going home and sleeping in their beds. He didn’t have a bed. The 26-year-old lightweight didn’t have his own bed until his late teens.

He had numerous nadirs. There were days when he came home from school and the TV was gone. His parents had to pawn it to pay off bills or eat for the week. Rock bottom was the norm for the Albrights, but they made it work.

Albright (14-1, 7 knockouts) will be looking to put former decorated amateur star Jamaine Ortiz (14-0-1, 8 KOs) to sleep this Friday in the 10-round lightweight main event on Showtime’s ShoBox: The New Generation (9 p.m. ET/PT) from the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Fla.

Albright, from Sicklerville, N.J., credits his hardscrabble upbringing for his success in the ring.



“When you grow up like I did, you learn to live with rock bottom, but you know what’s crazy, I had the best of times during those times, it’s why me and my family are so strong,” Albright said. “It was bad. Kids at school would talk about going home to their beds. I never had a bed growing up. We would sleep on the floor, or me and my brothers would all share a bed. I don’t think I had my own until bed until 18 or 19.”

Albright, an aspiring R&B singer who’s one of seven children including a younger twin sister, is coming off his biggest victory to date, stopping the previously undefeated Michael Dutchover, knocking him down four times and winning by sixth-round stoppage in September 2021. Albright was so excited that he broke into song during the post-fight interview.

He is so talented that he used to sing to get into the movies for free as a 12-year-old, which actually led to his only street fight. A group of kids came into the movie theater and began staring Albright and his friends down. That led to a fight later, which Albright settled quickly.

He began boxing when he was 14, but started singing at eight. If he had to make a choice, however, Albright admitted his leaning would be towards boxing, since it’s the individual that handles their destiny. In the music industry, which can be as sullied a business as boxing, is dependent on others.

Albright lost his pro debut and has won 14-straight fights since. In his last fight, Ortiz got up from two knockdowns to get an eight-round majority draw against unbeaten Joseph Adorno. Ortiz has been prone to switch to southpaw during fights. and

“I don’t know too much about (Ortiz), but I know he’s sharp and he’s fast and he’s going to come to win,” said Albright, who’s promoted by Rodney Rice (RDR). “I’m not going to stop. I’m going to keep coming. If they allow me to sing myself into the ring during my ring walk, I’ll do that.”

Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has been working for Ring Magazine/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be followed on twitter @JSantoliquito.

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