Undefeated 122-pound prospect Ra’eese Aleem previewed his upcoming showdown against fellow unbeaten Victor Pasillas before they battle for the interim WBA super bantamweight title Saturday, January 23 live on SHOWTIME® in a Premier Boxing Champions event from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
The event is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and TGB Promotions.
Originally from Muskegon, Mich., Aleem (17-0, 11 KOs) now lives and trains out of Las Vegas, Nev. where he moved to years ago to further pursue his championship dreams. After a stoppage victory over Marcus Bates on SHOWTIME in August, Aleem now faces Pasillas with a chance to move one step closer to that ultimate goal.
The 30-year-old is trained by Bobby McCoy in Las Vegas as he nears that potential world title opportunity, including a possible showdown against the winner of the January 23 main event between WBO 122-pound champion Angelo Leo and unbeaten rising star Stephen Fulton Jr. Here is what Aleem had to say about training camp, Pasillas and more:
On his matchup with Victor Pasillas:
“Pasillas is a good fighter with a lot of skills, but he’s not on my level physically and mentally. I have the speed advantage, along with a better ring IQ, so I believe I’m the more polished fighter. This is going to be a dog fight and a lot of hard punches are going to be thrown by both of us. I envision myself dominating this fight and coming out victorious by any means necessary.”
On his recent training camp in Las Vegas with coach Bobby McCoy:
“Coach Bobby and I are working harmoniously together, and we put in a lot of hard work during this training camp. There’s no place like Las Vegas as far as training and sparring goes, so I’m going to be well prepared going into this fight. We have a solid game plan set in place and adjustments will be made as the fight goes on. We are making the final push and I’m in great shape.”
On fighting for the interim WBA 122-pound title:
“This fight is the turning point in my career being that it’s for the WBA interim title. I’ve always said I want to fight the best fighters in the division and that’s exactly what I’m doing when I step in the ring with Victor Pasillas. I’m coming for all the belts and it starts on January 23.”
On making his third appearance on SHOWTIME:
“There’s nothing like fighting on SHOWTIME and I hope they see that I’m a fighter that brings a lot of excitement to the big stage. I want to thank my manager Greg Hannley, my promoter Marshall Kauffman, and everyone else who has helped me get to the point. I’m honored that PBC and SHOWTIME are giving me this opportunity, and I can’t wait to see my hands raised in victory after this fight.”
