The Comeback Kid: Super Bantamweight Galahad Intends to Make Up for Lost Time

Spare a thought for the poor soul who ends up facing Kid Galahad in his comeback bout.

The unbeaten super bantamweight is eligible to box again from March 20, having had his two-year doping ban shortened by six months by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) thanks to the efforts of his barrister, Dan Foster.

For Galahad (18-0, 9 KOs), there is finally a fight at the end of the tunnel—and he is "buzzing" to get back in the ring again.

His wants to make up for lost time, too, as he resumes his quest for a world-title shot: "I’m firing on all cylinders.

"I’m ready to pick back up where I left off. I’m ready to pick straight back up.

"I’ve been training very hard. The 18 months that have gone by, I haven’t let them go to waste. I’ve been improving and working on things.

"I’ve won the British, the European and the Commonwealth [belts]. Those titles don’t really mean anything to me now. I want to get back in the mix and win a world title.

"There’s only one dangerous kid who would give me a good fight in the super bantamweight division, and that’s [Guillermo] Rigondeaux. I honestly believe I would beat the rest."

The 26-year-old's highly promising career came to a sudden halt when he tested positive for Stanozolol in September 2014.

He proclaimed his innocence, insisting the failed test was down to a spiked protein drink. His brother, Mageed, provided a signed affidavit to support Galahad's testimony, per George Gigney of Boxing News.

But, while he left it down to the law experts to try to clear his name, the Doha-born boxer, who now calls the city of Sheffield in England home, could only wait to find out when he would be able to go back to work. 

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When his appeal against the initial UKAD decision failed, it would have been easy to lose focus, to let himself go and stop caring as much.

His trainer, Dominic Ingle, told Galahad he had to make a choice: "When it came out, we were both shocked. You just don’t expect those things to happen.

"Then, when the dust had settled, I told him he had two ways to deal with it.

"He could either pack up boxing, or carry on with your training and wait for the time to expire. He needed to carry on preparing as if he was going to fight, meaning mini training camps and watching his weight."

Ingle knew exactly what Galahad—whose real name is Abdul Barry Awad—would do: "He kept himself active, and, most importantly, kept on believing."

The famous Wincobank gym in a suburb of Sheffield was led by legendary trainer Brendan Ingle before his son, Dominic, took over the reins.

The site has been a key factor in Galahad's life. The building—an old church hall that welcomes all-comers, no matter your age or ability—not to forget the people inside it, helped change the course of his life.

"If it wasn’t for boxing, I would have been either in prison for a very long time, or very, very rich from doing crime. Boxing kept me out of trouble," he admits.

Dominic added: "He [Galahad] loves boxing. He’s not one of these kids who only trains for fights—he’s lived in the gym since he was 14 years old. He’s put a lot of time and effort into it [his career].

"The only thing that has been lost is time. But, that can quickly be made up because of the way he lives and the way he trains."

Galahad is part of a close-knit family of fighters inside the gym that includes reigning IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook.

However, there is no pecking order in place. There is no extra space given up to egos either, simply because there's not enough room in the building to accommodate them. In the early evenings, it is a bustling hive of activity as boxers, both young and old, go through their workouts.

"Someone asked me the other day if I ever got jealous when Kell was fighting. That has never been the case," Galahad said.

"Kell has been training for 20 years. Anyone who does anything for that long deserves to be at the top of the game. You cannot take any credit away from them.

"I’m not a kid. I don’t get bitter, or jealous, of other people.

"Everyone tries to help everyone in the gym. I’ve sparred with little kids who’ve never had a fight before, and I've sparred with world champions. You can learn off everyone."

Scott Heavey/Getty Images

While his focus is now firmly on the future, Galahad understands some will always be quick to remind him of the past.

"Everyone is going to have an opinion," he said.

"Look at [Floyd] Mayweather. Some people think he is the best boxer there has ever been, while some people say he’s never boxed anyone.

"Everyone is entitled to an opinion. That’s how it is. I know what I’m capable of doing, and that’s all that really matters.

"I never once [thought about quitting boxing]. I’m a mentally strong person. Sometimes in life there are obstacles—you have to get on with it. You cannot let things break you."

Ingle knows some will always be quick to remind Galahad of his failed test: "People are going to turn around and say he was a drugs cheat, but I don’t believe that for one minute.

"People will make their opinions. There is a lot of misinformation out there. Nobody is getting the full story, so they’re getting things mixed up. 

"But people are not particularly bothered about looking at the facts."

The fact is, after the efforts of barrister Foster—someone Ingle admits never stopped "plugging away" with the case—Galahad is free to fight again.

He has stepped up his preparations for a comeback with sparring sessions with James "Jazza" Dickens—a man he defeated to win the vacant British title in 2013—and IBF featherweight champion Lee Selby.

Ingle doesn't expect there will be a problem with ring rust: "I think he will come back at the same level we last saw him at. He’s always been determined, but now he realises what can go wrong."

Galahad—who has no promotional deal in place, insisting he will "go where the opportunities are"—hopes to be busy in the rest of 2016.

"Hopefully this year I can get three fights in," he said.

"I cannot wait. It’s been a very, very long time [out]. I’ve missed the ring—I cannot wait to get in there and perform."

The wait is nearly over. He has lost time and money during the enforced absence, perhaps also the respect of some inside the industry, but the comeback Kid certainly has not lost any confidence.

Rob Lancaster is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand, unless otherwise stated.