PESHAWAR: Pakistan’s top professional boxer and former two-time World Boxing Confederation (WBC) flyweight world silver champion Mohammad Waseem is confident of winning his next bout against the former three-time world champion Ganigan Lopez of Mexico in Dubai on November 22.
“I have prepared very well and hopefully will beat the Mexican,” Waseem told ‘The News’ in an interview from Glasgow on Wednesday. Waseem is currently playing under the world’s renowned boxers’ managing company MTK Global.
Waseem said that he will move to Dubai from Glasgow on November 17. Waseem, in September, had knocked out Philippines boxer Conrado Tenamor in the super flyweight bout in 62 seconds, the fastest victory ever from the Quetta-born fighter in his professional career.
When asked that it will not be easy to knock out the Mexican, the 2014 Incheon Asian Games bronze medallist Waseem said: “Yes. He is a good fighter as he has won three world titles in the light flyweight. But I have trained very hard and InshaAllah the result will be inspiring.”
Waseem is among top ten in WBC world rankings after having failed to play a bout for several months until he knock out the Filipino in Dubai. He is on his way to achieve the milestone of lifting the world title.
“After winning the November 22 fight, there is a chance that I may opt for a world title bout. It is not yet final and after this fight we will weigh different options and hopefully my next fight will be the world title bout,” he said.
The 38-year-old Lopez has won 36 bouts with 19 knock-outs and lost ten with four knock-outs. Waseem has so far played 11 bouts in his pro career, winning nine with seven knock-outs and losing just one when he was undone by Moruti Mthalane of South Africa in the flyweight world title battle in Malaysia last year.
After winning Asiad bronze in 2014, Waseem waited for several months before deciding to turn pro. He signed a contract with a Korea-based AK Promotions owned by Andy Kim and under him the Pakistani fighter did a terrific job as he became WBC flyweight world silver champion in only his fourth fight after defeating Philippines Jether Oliva in July 2016 in Korea. Waseem then strongly defended the same title after ousting Giemel Magramo of the Philippines also in Korea in November the same year.
Waseem’s golden run continued as he went on to win several other fights and also occupied WBC World No 1 position. After severing ties with Kim, Waseem signed a strong three-year deal with MTK Global and according to the boxer he has got a perfect platform to flourish. “I am now in good hands and hopefully I will achieve more milestones,” he said.