Muhammad Waseem, a Pakistani boxer, has moved to the top of the World Boxing Association (WBA) flyweight rankings.
Waseem moved to the top of the division after his victory against Colombia’s Robert Barrera in Dubai last month. This is the first time in four years that Waseem has returned to the top of the flyweight rankings.
Waseem defeated Barrera after a resounding performance in the bout. He won via unanimous decision and became the first Pakistani boxer to lift World Boxing Council (WBC) Silver World Title and also won the WBA World Eliminator. Waseem created history as he became the first Pakistani to become a two-time world champion.
‘The Falcon’ had also taken a huge step in securing a shot at the Flyweight World Title. Waseem’s achievements for Pakistan have come despite little support from the authorities as he invested his own hard-earned money to prepare for the bout against Barrera. Waseem’s last fight before the showdown last month was held in 2020 when he faced Philippine’s’ Jeny Boy Boca in Lahore.
The 34-year old said that he is proud of his number one ranking in the flyweight division of WBA but was disappointed that he had little support from the authorities. Waseem said that the authorities have only supported cricket in the country while other sports have been ignored for a long time.
“Cricket is hardly played in 10 to 12 countries and yet when a cricketer is ranked at the top, everyone goes crazy. On the other hand, boxing is a sport played in more than 200 countries. It is very, very tough to get to the top in any weight category, and yet, when someone from [Pakistan] reaches the top spot, nobody notices,” Waseem stated.
Waseem is one of the top sports personalities in the country and is the best boxer in the WBA flyweight division. Waseem has an outstanding record of 12 wins, 1 loss, 1 draw, and 8 knock-outs.
