Waseem to hold his world title bout in Quetta

The teams will likely visit Pakistan from the UK this month to see the venue

KARACHI:

"One of my biggest dreams has been to hold the world title bout in Quetta, and it will be coming true soon," Pakistan's sole professional boxer in the international arena Muhammad Waseem exclaimed.

Waseem, who won his international bout against Georgia's Jaba Memishishi in Malta, is making his international comeback in style after two years from his high-profile International Boxing Federation (IBF) World Flyweight bout against Sunny Edwards in Dubai.

But the 37-year-old is targeting at least two world title fights in 2025, when asked about his plans for the new year.

"I am very excited for 2025, I would want two world title fights with possibly two different champions," Waseem told this correspondent right after coming back from his afternoon run in Islamabad.

"One of the plans is to perform in my hometown, Quetta, it has been a big dream of mine to fight for the world title in my home town really, and this dream will become a possibility now because of DHA Quetta who are supporting me in this, and my management is excited too."

Waseem has recently switched his management to the legend Manny Pacquiao's company.

"They are very supportive and we will be having visitors from England by the 19th or 20th January hopefully.

"I am looking at the world title bout in Quetta by the end of April and this would be so great for the Pakistani boxing community. It is about giving back, we'll be seeing many foreigners even Americans coming here too, these are the professionals I have worked with over the years and I know them because of my international training and career, so I am very happy with this, and I am especially thankful to DHA Quetta for showing the support in a way that is allowing me to realise this dream."

Waseem has been boxing since he was nine years old and has a 26-year illustrious career where he first proved his mettle and resilience despite a lack of support, infrastructure and sponsorships for Pakistan at the amateur level, winning World Combat Games gold medal in 2010, Commonwealth Games bronze and silver (2010 and 2014), respectively, and Asian Games bronze in 201 before switching to professional boxing due to lack of professionalism and incompetency of Pakistan Boxing Federation in handling and providing boxers with quality resources.

Since them Waseem has held an impressive record in professional boxing as well losing only two in his 15 bouts.

He went on to become the first Pakistani boxer to win a World Boxing Council silver belt, and then successfully defended the title too.

He managed to win nine out of his 15 bouts through knock out in his professional career.

For the 2025 world title bouts Waseem will be relying on his coach Danny Vaughn.

Shocking revelation

Waseem revealed that he is looking to end his career after four to five professional bouts.

"I would want to go on and compete in four to five more bouts with world title challenges and wins, hopefully. And then I would want three or four defence bouts here in Quetta, if all goes well even two or three unification bouts too, where I can consolidate at least two or three world titles," Waseem said excitedly.

"I feel it is in me to win these titles and I can feel it because I know I have only been getting better in training, I keep training even when I do not have any bouts lined up. Like right now, I have no bout but I still ran six kilometres in 22 minutes, which is not bad to start with."

He is still young enough to continue his career beyond four to five bouts but he feels that it has been over 26 years of him in competitive boxing and he feels even these four, five or six bouts might take at least two to three years in the future.

"I have given my entire life to boxing, and I think it is fair to hang my gloves after achieving the goals that I have set, because boxing is a lonely sport after all.

"You have to be away from your family for months on stretch, you miss out on your children's lives. It gets lonely."