Waseem set to make ring return on March 6

KARACHI: Pakistan’s premier professional boxer Mohammad Waseem will return to the ring on March 6 in Dubai, his trainer Danny Vaughan said on Sunday.

“Waseem will return to the ring on March 6, a fight in connection with the Rotunda Rumble-III,” Danny told ‘The News’ from England.

However, he was quick to add that his opponent was yet to be decided. “There are three different opponents and his rival for the March 6 bout will be announced this week,” Danny said. He made it clear that it will be an eight-round ranking fight at the Caesars Palace, Dubai.

“It will be a ranking fight against a tough opponent who is coming to take Waseem’s ranking, so there is a lot at stake,” Danny said. “With this match, Waseem will be one step closer to fighting for world title before the end of 2020,” he added.

This will be almost after three and a half month that the former two-time flyweight world silver champion will play a match since he last defeated highly experienced Ganigan Lopez of Mexico in Dubai on November 22, 2019.

Besides beating Lopez, Waseem last year also knocked-out Conrado Tenamor of the Philippines on September 13 also in Dubai.

Meanwhile, Waseem is in Pakistan, waiting for a Spanish visa. “I am still waiting for my Spain visa. I will visit the embassy tomorrow and see what happens,” Waseem told ‘The News’ from Islamabad on Sunday.

However, he added that the time was too short for his next fight. “My fight has been announced and I am still struggling to get my visa for Spain,” the former Asian Games bronze medallist said.

Waseem said that the basic purpose of him seeking Spain visa is that he plans to visit the country for some sparring ahead of his March 6 fight. When asked if in case of further delay in visa what he would do regarding his training, the fighter said: “I am running only to keep myself fit.”

Waseem stays in Islamabad because of extremely cold weather at his hometown in Quetta. “There the situation is not in control. Its too cold. In Islamabad too there is immense cold and its not easy to train in such conditions,” he said.

Waseem, who holds IBF World No5 ranking, aims to win world title. “That is my goal,” he said. The 32-year old has so far played 11 bouts, winning ten, while losing only one when he went down to South Africa’s Moruti Mthalane in the IBF world title fight in Kuala Lumpur in summer of 2018.

After serving Pakistan for a decade in amateur circuit, Waseem turned pro in early 2015 and shot to fame in professional circuit when he defeated Jether Oliva of the Philippines in Korea to lift the WBC flyweight world silver title in July 2016.