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Photo © Brendon Pierpaoli, DoghouseBoxing
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The new IBF junior Middleweight champion Kassim "the Dream" Ouma (20-1 ) 13KO's from Kampala, Uganda now residing in West Palm Beach, Florida is looking for a unification showdown with WBC/WBA champion "Winky" Ronald Wright or WBO champ Daniel Santos.
Ouma compiled an amateur record of 63-3 with 15KO's before making his professional debut on July 10, 1998 with an impressive first round KO over Napoleon Middlebrook.
He's a former USBA jr midddleweight champion. He captured the International Boxing Federation (IBF) jr middleweight belt on October 2, 2004 over Verno Phillips at Caesers Palace, Las Vegas, NV
Ouma was ringside at the Wright-Mosley rematch fight in Las Vegas to challenge the winner of Wright-Mosley. He's what IBF junior middleweight had to say......
Ike: What did you think of the outcome of the Wright-Mosley fight?
Ouma: The industry needs me. I knew "Winky" Wright was going to beat Shane Mosley but Mosley is still a great champion. I know one day I may have to fight him but know it's time for Winky to fight me so we can unify the titles and know who is the real Junior Middleweight Champion of the world. He hasn't fought me so we don't know who is the best yet. The best is yet to come. I think we should have a tournament Daniel Santos can be a part of the tournament too. I think Winky is avioding me from when he was the IBF champ, it's time for us to put it on now. You have to have all the belts to be considered undisputed champion of the world just like Bernard Hopkins. Winky is a friend but I guess we have to do it because this is business, I'm now the IBF champion.
Ike: Please, tell us about your last fight with Verno Phillips for IBF belt?
Ouma: It was a good thing praises to the man upstairs. Ifought him before and beat him and did it the second time again. I was suppose to fight him in June for the vacant IBF title but I had injury so October I fought Verno Phillips and I beat him twice. I KOe'd him the first time the second time he went to distance
Ike: Your impression of Daniel Santos?
Ouma: He's a good fighter. I'll like to fight him too, I know he doesn't duck fighter so if Winky don't want to unify the belts then Santos is an option, I know he'll like to unify the belts. I can fight Daniel Santos then the winner fight" Winky" Wright.
Ike: What do you remember about the first time you ever boxed?
Ouma: I was around a lot of Boxers in Uganda, so I first tried boxing in 1993 but I was so scared and my friend were teasing me. I wasn't very interested in Boxing then, so I took off then came back 1994 and start as a flyweight then Bantamweight but I kept growing. Now, that I'm in America I feel much better than Africa but I still love my African people. I was so scare when I saw the ringfirst time but once I stepped into that ring the fear were done and I stopped my opponent, I was a junior flyweight then. In 1994, the boxers from Uganda going to Commonwealth in Canada 1994 kind of insired me to return to Boxing so before they came back from Canada I won the national schools championships that year.
Ike: What titles did you win as amateur Boxer?
Ouma: I fought at middleweight when I reached America, my fights were in Virginia, Washington DC.
I was the regional champion but I never got to fight any international fights espect when I was in Africa I was the East African champion at Lightweight 1997. I was the Best Boxer of the year and sportsman of the year same year.
Ike: Your thoughts on former African featherweight champion Michael Kizza?
Ouma: Kizza thought me a lot he was a professional Boxer when I was still amateur. I use to help him prepapre for his fights. He's a very good fighter, he just needs to come to USA to compete with others, he has what it takes to become a world champion, we have a lot of talented Boxer back home.
Ike: What about Jason Asiku?
Ouma: He's another very good boxer from my Country but he's Australia now since after he represented Uganda in Olympics 2000. I just received a phone message from him, he's doing good in Australia. I may fight Shannon Taylor in Australia too. There's a few offers out there.
I was in the national team together with Asiku so he's my buddy too.
Ike: Any comments to your fans?
Ouma: I love all my fans around the world. I have a lot of boxing show left in me to showcase so just keep praying for me. Thanks for all you supports when I was shot, thank God I survived it. I'm a true soldier who is on a mission to unify all the belts, just let Winky and Santos bring it on. It's time to find out who's the true junior middleweight champion. Winky and Santos are great champions but they know they will lose to Kassim Ouma, so lets see what HBO has to say. Shane Mosley gave Winky a chance so Winky have to give others a chance if he truely says he want to fight the best. Tell Winky Wright to bring it on.
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© Copyright / All Rights reserved: Doghouse Boxing 1998-2004
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Interview Submitted by Ike Enwereuzor, Jacboxing.com (November 23, 2004) 
