“The Dream” Known as Kassim Ouma.

“I’m so strong that I can fight at 175 (pounds) easily. I’m focused on Karmazin, and once I beat him, I’m supposed to fight “Winky” in November of this year.”–Kassim Ouma reveals his super-fight plans to SaddoBoxing.com

Click for larger image © Curtis McCormick

On July 14, 2005, the televised main even of HBO Latino’s “Boxeo De Oro” boxing series will feature the current IBF 154-pound champion, Kassim “The Dream” Ouma (21-1-1 with 13 KOs), defending his title against Russian born Roman “Made in Hell” Karmazin (30-1-1 with 21 KOs). This will be the second defense of Ouma’s title,

which he won on October 2, 2004, by unanimous decision over Verno Phillips. Although it is Karmazin who goes by the alias of “Made in Hell,” Kassim best fits that moniker as his horrific days as a child soldier in his native Kampala, Uganda, Africa are well documented. This writer decided to focus on Ouma’s current life and leave the past in the past. I caught up with “The Dream” via cell phone and this is what he had to say, “God has blessed me and I am very happy living in Florida (U.S.A.). The Man is blessing me and I have been very fortunate. I have been training very hard and am looking forward to fighting Roman Karmazin on the fourteenth. I have been fighting nothing but the top fighters and beating all of the top fighters that get in my way, and I’m just looking to continue to fight and beat the best.”

And top fighters Kassim has been facing as in a twenty-four fight career, Ouma has already beaten the likes of Verno Philips (twice), Angel Hernandez, J.C. Candelo, and Kofi Jantuah. “The Dream’s” nickname could have very easily been the African buzz saw, as Kassim is a come forward fighter that lets both his hands go at a rate that his opponents have not been able to match. Although not a show-stopping puncher, Ouma does have heavy hands and tends to wear his challengers down. With this hit and be hit style, it is hard to believe that Kassim would really love what he does, but by the way “The Dream” is always dancing and smiling on his walks to the ring, or during training, that is exactly the case. “This is what I do man. I love to fight. I was born to do it. It is fun to be able to get in there and go to war. I am hungry and have been blessed with ability. Like my nickname says, I have a dream of being great and making the most of my life. I look to go into the ring and have some fun because life is good. I have a son that lives with me and I make sure that he lives life and boxing gives him that. I feed my family with boxing. I’m happy. I’m very happy with boxing. I just love what I do because it is a lot of fun.”

154-pounds is where Ouma calls home right now, and he does not have any problems making the weight. Still, Kassim is a very strong looking junior middleweight that seems to be able to go up in weight and still be very successful. How far up in weight does he think he can go? “I’ll fight anyone from 154-pounds to 175-pounds. I’m so strong that I can fight at 175 (pounds) easily. I’m focused on Karmazin, and once I beat him, I’m supposed to fight “Winky” (Ronald “Winky” Wright) in November of this year. That’s what my manager says. It’s Karmazin, then “Winky.” I don’t know what weight for “Winky”, but I don’t care either because I’ll fight anyone between 154 to 175–pounds.”

And when asked if he was even willing to face Antonio Tarver at 175-pounds, without hesitation Kassim said, “I’ll fight him and everyone else between 154 to 175 (pounds)! I also wantto fight the winner of Hopkins (Bernard) and Taylor (Jermain) fight. I’m a fighter man, and I’ll fight everyone and anyone out there.” In case some of you are wondering, I did ask, “The Dream” if he could make 147-pounds, and his response was “Excuse my French, but HELL NO! I can’t make 147-pounds.”

And of his new promotional company, Golden Boy Promotions, Ouma shared this, “It’s good to have a promoter like that behind you man. Oscar (de la Hoya) knows all the right people and he will get me the best fights out there. I’m really happy that Golden Boy has me as one of their fighters and look forward to great fights.”

Moreover, Kassim has thoughts about whether his new boss, Oscar de la Hoya, will fight again, saying, “He’s young. Oscar is still a baby. He’s been a great fighter for a long time and I remember when I was coming up, Oscar was fighting the best fighters out there. He is still a baby and will probably fight again next year. If he doesn’t, then that’s ok too. But he is still very young.”

In closing, “The Dream” had this to say to his fans, “I’m not even in my prime yet. I have not even started yet, and have really not shown my action packed style completely. Muchas, muchas gracias (Spanish for thank you very much). I love you my Latino fans, my English fans, my African fans, my American fans, and all my fans worldwide man. And to all the fighters between 154 to 175-pounds, I’m coming after you. And to all the kids worldwide, dream because they do come true. Thanks to everyone.”

So fight fans, on July 14, 2005, make sure you tune in to HBO Latino’s “Boxeo De Oro” boxing series, and bare witness to one of boxing’s bright young stars continue “The Dream” of becoming great. It is really special to be able to meet and watch people like Ouma be so happy with life and his choice of profession after everything he has been through. “The Dream” probably does not even realize this, but he puts things into perspective for those of us who tend to sweat the little things in life.

Writer’s Note: Stay tuned fight fans as Kassim “The Dream” Ouma provides his prediction on the Hopkins vs. Taylor fight, which the greatest fans on the planet will be able to find only on SaddoBoxing.com.

Sergio Martinez can be reached at srg_mrtnz@yahoo.com