Tribune Newswire

It’s official. Muskegon, Michigan has it’s first boxing world champion and it’s Ra’eese “The Beast” Aleem.

Muskegon native Ra’eese Aleem (18-0, 12 KOs) handed Victor Pasillas (15-1, 8 KOs) his first professional loss with an impressive 11th-round technical knockout. Aleem, 30, entered the fight ranked in the top-10 by the WBA and IBF at 122 pounds and captured the vacant interim WBA world super bantamweight title with his win over Pasillas. It was the seventh straight stoppage victory for the Michigan native, who now lives and trains out of Las Vegas, and hopes to get a world title shot in 2021.

Only down twice in his career prior to this fight, Aleem sent Pasillas to the canvas four times en route to the stoppage in the penultimate round. The two fighters combined to throw 1,212 punches throughout the fight with Aleem outlanding Pasillas 185 to 143. Aleem controlled the pace throughout the fight with an onslaught of body shots (64) which totaled 34% of his total punches landed.

“I was dominant,” said Aleem. “I wanted to put an exclamation point with this performance. It feels absolutely amazing. It just confirms what I knew in my head, that I have elite power. He’s one of the top fighters in the division so to knock him out, it means I’m a true threat.

“I think a lot of people were sleeping on me and my power. I wasn’t surprised that I stopped him, I didn’t think he’d be able to go the distance with me. I think a lot of the fighters in this division should really be on notice.

“It doesn’t matter who I fight next. I’m ready to fight any world champion. Whether it’s Fulton or if Murodjon Akhmadaliev wants to come out of hiding. Any current world champion that’s willing to fight, I’m ready. I’ve got the pen, send the contract.”