Driven & Dedicated

Professional Welterweight Sid “The Messenger” El Harrak Delivers

by Stephanie Struyck Elgin

Why do they call you The Messenger?  “I am The Messenger because I send a message to the people that doubted me, that said I wouldn’t make it.  When I was younger, people said that I would be a failure.  That only fuels my fire to be better.”

He’s a knockout-both in person and in the ring.  And while I entertained the idea that meeting with a professional boxer was going to be quite intimidating, I was welcomed with a smile and pleasantly surprised by his witty personality.
Born in London, England and of Moroccan decent, professional welterweight Sid “The Messenger” El Harrak made his way to the United States in 1996.  “I was 13 years old when my ‘mum’ told me I was coming to the United States on vacation.  She didn’t tell me we were staying permanently!” states Sid.  “My mother brought me here for opportunity.  She knew moving to America was the best thing for me.”
Sid and his mother visited friends in Indiana, and then stayed in Chicago for a little while.  “We made the three day train ride from Chicago to Santa Clarita,” says Sid, “and have since called Santa Clarita our home.”  
Sid started boxing at the age of 14.  “My mother took me to the gym because I had a lot of energy and was getting into a lot of trouble at a young age.  Boxing is a sport, and it teaches a lot of discipline.  I owe a lot to my mother.  She was a single parent and she is my mentor.  When I was nine years old, I told her that one day I will make her proud.”
With 60 amateur fights since 2000, Sid has a phenomenal 52-8 career.  In May of 2008, Sid turned pro and has since fought 10 fights, with nine wins – four of them by way of knockout.   Earlier this year, Sid decided to move from Las Vegas area where he trained and fought, back to the Santa Clarita Valley.  He has since moved to Texas where he currently trains.
“Boxing is my life, and I’m willing to lose it in the ring,” states Sid.  “That’s why my ‘mum’ has yet to see me box, because every time I step in the ring, I box as if my life depended on it.”  
His determination to be the best is what drives him, not to mention Sid lives to train.  “I always stay in shape,” says Sid.  “It’s how you take care of your body.  I do everything to train.  In fact, I have a huge problem with overtraining… I can’t sit down, I always have to be doing something.”
Sid’s next fight will be on October 16, in Oklahoma and then a fight in the works in Santa Clarita this December.  “This upcoming year is going to be a good one,” states Sid.   “I’m so thankful for Viva Vitamins for being so supportive of my career for the past year…I work and I train hard, and I’m ready.”
“I’m sending a message to the people that doubted me, and said I wouldn’t make it.  Don’t mess with the messenger. It’s not the bigger man who wins the fight; it’s the smarter man.
For more information about Sid, visit www.rightcrossentertainment.com.