Waseem preparing for world title fight

LAHORE: Pakistan’s premier professional boxer and three-time WBC world silver flyweight champion Mohammad Waseem is highly likely to return to the ring in the next few weeks when he takes on one of the best fighters of the world in the world title fight.The name of the opponent against whom Waseem will fight in the world title fight is being kept secret here due to some reasons but he is one of the greatest fighters in the world’s professional boxing circuit, also having to his credit six world titles, and four in four different weight divisions.

According to sources close to Waseem, the Quetta-born fighter, who is working under the UAE-based Disrupt Promotions, will move to Glasgow in the next three days to begin his training for the fight. Sources said that complete details of his fight will be known when Waseem joins training in Glasgow which has been his major training destination for the last few years.

It is also not yet known who will be his coach in Glasgow. However, sources close to Waseem said that his former coach Danny Vaughn’s services may be acquired. “But this all will be done with the proper consent of the Disrupt Promotions which purchased assets from Probellum, Waseem’s former promotions, a few months ago,” the source said.When approached, Waseem endorsed the details, saying he desperately wants to return to the ring. “Yes, I plan to fight in the next couple of months,” he told ‘The News’. “It has been too long since I played my last world title fight against Sunny Edwards of England in Dubai in March 2022. I am impatiently waiting for the next fight,” Waseem said.

“I will move to Glasgow in the next few days. I am working on my ticket confirmation. I have England visa and hopefully will fly to Glasgow soon,” said Waseem, also the 2014 Asian Games bronze medallist.

“I am used to living in Glasgow. I will also be able to manage there some good sparring partners,” he said. Waseem also confirmed that he will be going to play a direct world title fight. However, he said that the time is short and he will have to move to Glasgow quickly to begin his training. “Although the time is short I am confident I will be able to bring myself in perfect shape inside four weeks,” said Waseem, who also has to his credit two medals in the Commonwealth Games.

He is training in Islamabad but he said he does not find all the facilities which are required for preparing for the world title fight. “There are training issues here. You don’t find all the required facilities and even you cannot manage the kind of food which is required. In Glasgow I will be able to manage everything required and that will be very helpful to prepare for the top fight,” Waseem said.

He said that he is also trying to manage some sponsors in Pakistan. “Sponsorship is a big issue. I have tried to contact some companies but nothing is yet final. I also tried to meet the Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif but I did not succeed. Let’s see how it goes,” said Waseem who has so far played 14 fights in his pro career, having won 12. The two that he lost were both world title fights: one against South Africa’s Moruti Mthalane and the other against Sunny Edwards of England.