‘Boxer Waseem could become world champ’

KARACHI: Danny Vaughan, English trainer of Pakistan’s professional boxer Mohammad Waseem, on Thursday acknowledged that the Quetta-born boxer was very ‘skilled’ and would surely become world champion.

“Yes, Waseem is skilled and very good at block and attack and there is no doubt that he would become world champion,” Danny told “The News” in an interview from Glasgow.

Having grabbed two World Boxing Council (WBC) world silver flyweight crowns in 2016 under the Korea-based AK Promotion, the 31-year old former Asian Games bronze medallist has recently signed an agreement with the world’s renowned boxer management company MTK Global.

The former Commonwealth Games two-time medallist has started training under the same company at its Glasgow Centre in Scotland.

Having lost just a single fight out of nine in his productive but problems-ridden four-year career Waseem is now eyeing a world title in the flyweight category in the next few months.

His trainer said that before going for a world title fight Waseem would play at least a couple of bouts to improve his rankings. And, Danny says he would play his first fight on June 22.

“We will not be going to rush. He will fight on June 22. His opponent for the fight is not yet known. Four weeks before the fight he will know his opponent. He then will play another fight at the end of the year before going for his world title bout after Christmas. May be by March next year,” Danny said.

During his illustrious career as a professional fighter Waseem also remained WBC world No 1 for quite some time. He was a rare fighter when he created ripples when he lifted WBC world silver crown only in his fourth bout when he defeated Jether Oliva of the Philippines in Millennium Hilton Hotel in Seoul, South Korea.

It was a great achievement from a fighter who turned pro accidentally after he was not properly looked after by the boxing governing body of Pakistan (PBF) at a time when he had returned from Incheon after lifting flyweight bronze medal in the 2014 Asian Games. It was almost after long 12 years that Pakistan had lifted a medal in the Asiad.

The only loss in Waseem’s pro career was against the International Boxing Federation (IBF) world champion Moruti Mthalane of South Africa in the IBF world title bout in Kuala Lumpur last summer.

It was decided through a unanimous decision in favour of the South African despite Waseem’s outstanding performance in the Jam-packed Axiata Arena of the Malaysian capital.

MTK Global is also interested in organising bouts for Waseem in Pakistan in future.

And the company is also expected to meet the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) and the Prime Minister Imran Khan. If happened it would usher in a new era in Pakistan’s boxing history by organising a bout for the fighter in Pakistan.

“It’s definitely the goal of MTK Global to arrange fights for Waseem in Pakistan. It would be amazing to see Waseem playing in front of his own crowd,” Danny said.

Meanwhile Waseem said that he had been working hard since joining MTK Global. “I have come here to train and I am training harder. The environment in Glasgow is not new for me as I have been here in 2014 when I won silver in the Commonwealth Games.