Knockouts, Titles, and the Global Rise of Boxing – World Boxing Association

Quetta, a city more renowned for its rugged mountain terrain than for the thunderous cheers of a fight crowd, found itself at the heart of the boxing world on Saturday night. Under the bright lights and a roaring crowd, Pakistan hosted a historic card that proved one thing beyond a doubt: boxing is no longer bound by borders. Thanks to the World Boxing Association (WBA), the sport’s global footprint continues to expand—and Quetta was living, punching proof.

In the main event, local hero Muhammad Waseem delivered a performance for the ages, stopping Venezuela’s Winston Oronó via ninth-round TKO to claim the WBA Gold bantamweight title. Both fighters came in hungry and determined, and for eight rounds, they traded leather in a gritty, high-paced bout. Oronó, unfazed by the partisan crowd, showed grit and landed his share of shots—but Waseem’s relentless pressure and superior conditioning proved too much. In the ninth, he broke through, landing with precision and volume until the referee had no choice but to wave it off. The crowd erupted. The belt stayed home.

The undercard continued the international flavor of the night. In a textbook display of ring generalship, British boxer Alex Dilmaghani outclassed Argentina’s Yermi Peralta Jiménez to win the WBA Asia South lightweight title. It was a masterclass in movement and control, with all three judges seeing it 99-91 across the board for the Brit.

Then came Morocco’s Tarik Zaina, who made quick work of the Philippines’ Marvin Esquierdo. With a thunderous right hand in the fourth round, Zaina sealed the deal and claimed the WBA Asia South super lightweight crown in emphatic fashion.

More than just a night of knockouts and belts, the event marked another milestone in the WBA’s mission to globalize boxing. From London to Lagos, Buenos Aires to Balochistan—this is a new era. Boxing has gone worldwide.