By Anthony Cocks
Pakistani flyweight contender Mohammad Waseem 8-1 (6) is set to travel to England to begin camp under the auspices of his new management firm MTK Global. ‘The Falcon’ will fly out next week.
“I have got my visa. Most probably I will be in England by Monday to begin my stint with MTK Global,” Waseem revealed to The News this week.
The WBC number eight and IBF number 10 ranked contender signed a three-year deal with MTK Global in January after his contract with South Korean-based AK Promotions concluded.
MTK Global talent scout Mike Altamura is bullish about Waseem’s future in the sport.
“Waseem is a serious talent, and I’m confident this union will see him fulfil his dream of becoming his country’s first ever world champion,” Altamura said at the time of the signing.
The 31-year-old from Quetta is excited about the opportunities MTK Global has provided for him.
“It's a major group and it has the assistance of five of the world's best coaches. It has told me to pick from the list of coaches and if I am not satisfied with anyone then I will have the option of choosing anyone in the world,” Waseem said.
In his last outing Waseem lost a razor-thin decision to two-time IBF flyweight champion Moruti Mthalane on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao versus Lucas Matthysse in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last July. Waseem had the champion on the deck in the 11th round and was trailing by just a single point on two of the judges’ scorecards at the end of the bout.
“I plan to fight a bout before Ramadan for improving my ranking. After Ramadan I will play another fight and then will opt for throwing a challenge for the world title,” Waseem said.
“I will need a 40-day training for getting into top shape. Currently I am just training one time in a day. In England weather is always good and it is the best place to train perfectly for any major cause.”
Waseem says his ambition is to become a multi-divisional world champion and believes MTK Global can help him achieve that goal.
"I have grabbed two world silver titles but it is my dream to become the world champion, not in one weight category but in several," said Waseem.