Introducing Scottish Junior amateur champion Ramesh Zadeh

Meet Scottish Junior amateur champion Ramesh Zadeh

Strap in for a brand new column from BBN's celebrated Caledonian columnist Donald C Stewart, designed to highlight the emerging talent coming through from the Highlands. This inaugural yarn introduces Ramesh Zadeh, an impressive Scottish teen the Sparta Boxing Academy...

“My name is Ramesh. I started boxing nearly 2 years ago. I'm 17 years old, actually. I'm coming 17 January and I started boxing from the Sparta Academy.”

Introducing himself, as he walks through the door, this impressive young man is an imposing figure. Not just because of his height and physical presence but because of his humility and manners with a determination that bubbles below.

For Ramesh, the new Scottish Junior 75kg Development Champion at the finals in Ravenscraig at the tail end of 2025, all of those qualities were apparent, not just as he walks through a door but in the ring.

Combined with his experience in grassroots boxing which has always played a part in the development of manners, decreased aggression and discipline, it’s a heady mixture for a young man seeking to establish himself in the sport, and in a new country.

I got the opportunity to catch up with Ramesh after he had won the Scottish title. I began by asking, how he got into boxing? “I tried it, thinking to myself at one time, boxing probably is good for me. It's good for my body. I looked at the people that's old becoming stronger. I want something like that to myself, grow older, strong body and I think that's a good idea, because it's good and healthy.”

Hailing originally from Afghanistan, Ramesh arrived in Scotland, over 2 years ago, determined to build a better life.

Like much of his time in Scotland, Ramesh has embraced everything eagerly, so it was a surprise to learn that when he arrived at the Sparta Boxing Academy, he began tentatively, “I started there one year ago. I was just training, training. After one time, I come home, I think, I need time to try to fight. I speak to my coach (Sam). I want to try (a) fight.” That it took a year of training to realise what he wanted to do was box properly might seem odd, but this is a young man who has his priorities straight.

Once he was bitten by the idea of being in the ring, Ramesh became keen to test himself against others, “I like to be somebody, (to enter) a competition.” Ramesh, tall and angular, had, according to his coach, one simple issue – his weight. “Because I fight for 75 kilos.” His progress to the Championships meant, like many boxes, he had to get make weight.

“One week out from fight, I'm 78 kilos. Three kilos! Sam said, you need to be losing kilos. I said I'll try my best. I come home I eat nothing, drink little, keep running and sweat and lose a kilo. After two days I lose one and a half kilo. After that I go to the gym again. I just keep running and running and one kilo I lose in the gym again. I tried running again, and I lose it! I'm ready. Someone said, how are you ready this fast? How did you lose your kilos? But I said, hey, I push(ed) myself, because I (want) to be in a fight. That's why I push myself. Sam said, it's okay, you're ready to fight.” Training and fighting are, of course, related but often distant cousins – many boxers tell of sparring stories that don’t translate in the ring, because the atmosphere and the occasions are very different. But Ramesh was going to be prepared, “Sam said, come inside the ring, showing me the technique.” The stage was set for Ramesh’s big debut.

His fights, at the Scottish Development Championships included getting past fighters from Aberdeen and Edinburgh. His progress needed to despatch both highly skilled boxers, and saw Ramesh win both fights by unanimous decision and take the title.

It was straightforward but not plain sailing as Ramesh prepared for his first ever fight and admitted to being, “just kind of nervous because I never go inside the ring before to fight. At the start, my head is just, like, tick, tick, tick.” It led to him taking an unusual approach as he, “thought I'd start and try to be punched first.” It was clearly a successful strategy as he went on to win, taking, “a point more,” than his opponent.

Having got past one, he needed to face the final and that is where, “I pushed myself. The last time, I tried to push myself to be hard.” The result of that push was the belt and the title.

As for the future, Ramesh is clear. Given his proven determination, who is to say that he will not become professional but for now his biggest issue is getting sparring partners.

“I speak to Sam, (say) I need to try to fight more, I need to fight more. Sam says okay, I'll text people, (for) a sparring partner.” Sam has tried but getting anyone to come and take Ramesh on has been tough. When Sam approaches people it can end up being disappointing as Ramesh explained, “(one) guy text back. said, your guy is a very strong guy, very punchy. No one wants to fight! But Sam said, you're 17 and 75 kilo fight and it's hard to find someone to spar.” That frustration is evident when Ramesh declares with enthusiasm, “But I'm ready. I'm ready to fight!”

We moved on to talk about a typical training week, as Ramesh explained, “I'm just training two times – Friday and a Monday.” His diet is carefully monitored by him, and he gets advice from his coach who talked about his food. So, at home he makes sure he is eating the right food, and nothing changes his focus. “It's strong to be far away from the smoking, drinking and too much food. For example, I smoke, my chest is a problem. It's (boxing) good for me. It's healthy every time your body is strong and steady. I go to gym and try to work out hard and push myself to be good.”

He has managed to train through Ramadan because, “boxing starts after six, seven o'clock after fast and you can go boxing.”

Ramesh clearly knows his boxing declaring that, “Muhammad Ali and then Mike Tyson,” are his favourite fighters but he was able to talk over the recent WBA title fight involving “Kubrat Pulev and Russian guy, Gassiev?”

Ramesh’s heritage, as an Afghan living in Scotland causes him no issue around who he would represent should his career take off – I joke we could claim him as one of our own if he was successful. For Ramesh, it would be “both!”

As we shook hands and I got ready to depart, Ramesh apologised as his “English is not so good.” It’s a lot better than my Pashto, I replied, but his talking in the ring seems is far more important, and impressive, than any verbals!

Follow Ramesh on Instagram: @ramesh_zadeh