KARACHI: Pakistan’s premier professional boxer and reigning WBA Gold bantamweight champion Mohammad Waseem is considering several overseas destinations to prepare for his next professional fight, which is likely to take place later this year.
Waseem is expected to either defend his WBA Gold title or pursue a unification bout.
“England, the United States and Europe are on my radar as training destinations for my next fight, which will most probably be held in December,” Waseem told The Express Tribune on Friday.
“My priority is to defend my WBA Gold title, which is very important. After that, we will plan for other options,” he added.
Waseem won the WBA Gold World Bantamweight title by defeating Thailand’s Jakrawut Majungoen in a 12-round bout at the Garrison Sports Complex in Lahore last year.
A few months earlier, he had claimed his first WBA Gold world title in Quetta after defeating Venezuela’s Wiston Orono.
The Quetta-born boxer also has a bronze medal from the 2014 Incheon Asian Games and a silver medal from the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Despite winning several international medals during his amateur career, Waseem never competed at the Olympics. He came close to qualifying for the London Games but narrowly missed out after losing in the quarter-finals of the Asia Qualifiers in Astana.
Waseem was recently offered a fight in the United States but turned it down because of the limited preparation time.
“Yes, a fight had been offered in the US, but the time was too short and it was not possible to undergo the required training,” he said.
There is also a possibility of Waseem facing American boxer Jesse Rodriguez, a multiple-division world champion.
“Yes, talks are ongoing and if this fight is finalised, it would be good. He is a tough boxer, but I can beat him,” Waseem said.
“If this happens, then I will move to the US for training. I think three months of training will be enough,” he added.
Waseem became the WBC Flyweight Silver champion in only his fourth professional fight and successfully defended the title before securing it for a third time.
He turned professional in 2015, a few months after winning bronze for Pakistan at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.
His professional career continued to progress despite two setbacks in world title fights. He lost decisions against South Africa’s Moruti Mthalane in Malaysia and England’s Sunny Edwards in Dubai in 2022.
Waseem appeared to dominate portions of both contests, but the eventual decisions went against the Pakistani boxer.
