Chris Thomas beat Jake Osgood on points over four three-minute rounds

EMOTIONS ran high on Saturday when boxer Chris Thomas made his professional debut at the same venue where a close friend and clubmate died after collapsing in the ring.

Thomas was ringside at the Harrow Leisure Centre in May 2024 to cheer on fellow St Pancras Amateur Boxing Club member Sherif Lawal in his first professional bout.

But the night ended in tragedy when Lawal, from Essex Road in Islington, collapsed in the fourth of a six-round contest before being rushed to hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. It has since been revealed that the 29-year-old died of natural causes.

In “a surreal and mentally challenging” twist of fate, Thomas returned to the west London facility for the first time since Lawal’s death at the weekend to make his own pro debut.

Far from being a solely sombre occasion, though, the 26-year-old insisted it gave him extra strength.

“It’s hard to find the words, Sherif was like my big brother, so it was very surreal boxing in that place,” said Thomas, who lives in Kentish Town. “Warming up in the same dressing room as Sherif, walking down the same steps on the way to the ring – it was just very surreal.

“If anything, it made the whole fight seem even more important.

“It was like he was there with me, standing beside me. I know he would definitely be smiling because I made my pro debut. He’d be so happy that I have started a new chapter in my career.”

Sherif Lawal

Displaying the same kind of fortitude that it took to step between the ropes in Harrow, Thomas continued: “I’d turned down a couple of offers to fight at the same venue in the past because it was just too soon. But I’m not a big social media star; I don’t have the luxury of picking and choosing where I box, so when the offer came up again I thought ‘let’s just do this and get on with it’.

“In the end, it was like I was fighting in Sherif’s honour.

“I’ve always believed that boxing is 80 per cent mental and 20 per cent physical, so it was important to keep my mind positive. But I did get emotional after the fight, seeing everyone there supporting me and knowing that Sherif wasn’t in the crowd. It was a tough evening.”

Thomas joined St Pancras at the age of 14 and carved out a glittering amateur career, winning the England Boxing Southern Area Elite title, the MTK Global Lonsdale Box Cup and the London Elite Championships at light middleweight.

In his corner every step of the way has been Saints coach CJ Hussein, and that was no different on Saturday when Thomas, now boxing at super welterweight, unanimously beat Carlisle’s Jake Osgood on points over four three-minute rounds.

The night was just as difficult for CJ, who was in Lawal’s corner two years ago and also hadn’t returned to Harrow since. But showing the true spirit of a coach, he quickly shook off his own demons to keep the spotlight on Thomas.

He said: “It was a difficult fight for Chris, it wasn’t just about his opponent, it was also about the venue.

“The way he handled all of that emotion on top of the adrenaline of making his professional debut was phenomenal. He put in a very mature and disciplined performance. It looked like he had been boxing professionally for years.”