Mohammad Waseem strongly defends WBA world gold title

By Alam Zeb Safi
LAHORE: Pakistan’s premier professional boxer Mohammad Waseem successfully defended his WBA World Gold bantamweight title on Saturday night, defeating Thailand’s Jakrawut Majungoen via a unanimous decision after a gripping 12-round thriller.
In front of a packed crowd at the newly constructed Jinnah Sports Complex, Waseem endured a disastrous start, suffering two early knockdowns as Jakrawut unleashed his power with remarkable precision. The shaky opening demanded a strong comeback from Waseem and he delivered.
Regaining composure, The Falcon boxed smartly, maintaining distance and landing clean jabs and hooks that signaled danger to the Thai fighter. Despite Jakrawut’s spirited challenge especially impressive in an arena overwhelmingly supporting Waseem, the former three-time WBC World silver flyweight champion—the Pakistani star found his rhythm.
Rounds three and four turned into punishing exchanges. With limited openings available, Jakrawut capitalized on every small opportunity, repeatedly troubling Waseem with his left hook. The Thai boxer again dropped Waseem in the fifth round, reaffirming his threat.
But Waseem weathered the storm. Launching a determined counter-assault in the sixth round he gradually took control of the fight, dominating the middle and later rounds to keep his title hopes alive.
The twelfth round was particularly enthralling with both fighters pushing themselves to the brink. Waseem, however, held the edge, showcasing disciplined footwork and sharp counters. When he stayed composed, Jakrawut struggled to find openings; only when Waseem fought emotionally, did he leave gaps for his opponent.
When the bell rang, both fighters celebrated atop the ring, awaiting the verdict. The judges ultimately sided with Waseem, whose resilience, accuracy and well-timed jabs earned him a hard-fought victory. Though Jakrawut excelled in counterattacks Waseem’s superior ringcraft ensured he finished ahead.
Waseem dedicated his victory to the Shuhada of the armed forces and expressed gratitude to the Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir, Government of Punjab and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for supporting him and promoting the sport of boxing.
“This is not a glass chin—it’s a chin of steel,” Waseem said with a smile, reflecting on his gritty recovery.
“I fought like a warrior, and we’ll do it again,” added the boxer, who had represented Pakistan for more than a decade as an amateur.
His trainer Danny Vaughan praised him warmly: “What a great boy, he has shown something I have never seen before.”
Earlier in May, Waseem had captured the WBA world title in Quetta, knocking out Venezuela’s Winston Orono in the ninth round before a massive home crowd.
Saturday’s triumph marked Waseem’s 15th win in 17 fights, including 10 by knockout. His only losses came in world title bouts against Moruti Mthalane of South Africa and Sunny Edwards of England.
Turning professional in 2015 after a decade-long amateur career—and months after winning bronze at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games—Waseem quickly rose to prominence. In 2016, he clinched the WBC Flyweight World Silver title in just his fourth professional fight and later defended it against Filipino contender Giemel Magramo.
He came agonizingly close to becoming IBF world champion twice: first in 2018 against Mthalane in Kuala Lumpur, and again in 2022 against Sunny Edwards, the latter widely viewed as a controversial decision. For a significant period, Waseem held the WBC No.1 world ranking, a remarkable feat for the Quetta-born boxer.
Meanwhile, England-based Pakistani fighter Laura Akram impressed on her professional debut, defeating Komal in the super featherweight category. She secured a technical knockout just 46 seconds into the third round.
“It’s massive to have my professional debut in Pakistan, my own country,” said Laura, a mother of two daughters.
“It takes a lot of hard work and discipline. I truly thank Allah for paving the way.”
A total of 44 fighters from 15 countries showcased their skills at the event.