Raeese Aleem would rather be boxing in an empty arena than not fighting at all. “The Beast” from Muskegon is just happy to have another bout amid the COVID-19 pandemic and opportunity to move one step closer to a world-title shot.
The unbeaten super bantamweight, who now lives and trains in Las Vegas, will make his second televised appearance on Showtime this Saturday night. Aleem (16-0, 10 knockouts) will tangle with fellow unbeaten Tramaine “The Mighty Midget” Williams (19-0, 6 KOs) in a world-title eliminator from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., where fans will not be permitted because of COVID restrictions.
The Aleem-Williams bout is a co-feature for the main event between Stephen Fulton Jr. (18-0, 8 KOs) and Angelo Leo (19-0, 9 KOs) for the vacant WBO junior featherweight world championship. The other co-feature pits Joe George (10-0, 6 KOs) and Marcos Escudero II (10-1, 9 KOs) in a light heavyweight matchup. The action is set to begin at 9 p.m. Saturday on Showtime.
Aleem’s fight, a scheduled 10-rounder, will be his first since the pandemic hit. On Feb. 14, he made a smashing TV debut with a fourth-round TKO of San Antonio’s Adam Lopez as a co-feature for Showtime’s “ShoBox: The New Generation.” Saturday’s event will be the first live boxing telecast on Showtime since March 13.
“I wasn’t sure if I was even going to fight again this year. A lot of fighters will be lucky to fight this year (because of COVID restrictions). They’re only really having the top fighters fight, so I’m glad I’m in that group and in that conversation,” Aleem said in a phone interview with MLive.
“It’s going to be a little bit different because as a fighter sometimes you can feed off the crowd’s energy and stuff like that – for any sport, whether it’s basketball, football, boxing. I don’t think it’s going to have any impact on me because it’s going to be business as usual, but it will be a little bit different: Stepping into an empty arena with just me and the guy staring at me across the ring.”
Raeese Aleem of Muskegon is victorious after his fourth-round TKO of San Antonio's Adam Lopez in a super bantamweight bout as the co-feature of Showtime's "ShoBox: The New Generation" Friday, Feb. 14, 2020, at 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. (Courtesy of Amanda Westcott, via Showtime)
According to BoxRec.com, Aleem is rated No. 24 in the world in the super bantamweight division (122 pounds). Williams is ranked No. 15, while Fulton and Leo are Nos. 7 and 9, respectively. Among U.S. fighter in their division, Aleem is ranked No. 8 while Williams is No. 7.
Aleem, 30, is a 2009 Muskegon High School alumnus, who was practically raised in Ravenna and also attended Oakridge for a bit. He’s a humble guy and embraces the underdog mentality, but he’s also confident in his abilities.
The 5-foot-6 Aleem, a right-hander with a 63 ½-inch reach, will have two inches on his opponent. Williams, 27, a native of New Haven, Conn. – located about 45 minutes from Saturday’s fight venue – is a southpaw with a 68-inch reach. This is the first bout for Williams since his 10-round win over veteran contender Yenifel Vicente last July.
“It’s a huge, huge opportunity. I get through this fight, my next fight will be for a world title, but to even have this fight – to be able to fight for a world-title eliminator – it’s a huge, huge opportunity and I’m blessed for that,” Aleem said.
“(Williams is) a great fighter. You know, he’s undefeated, he’s a dog, fast hands, fast feet, he’s really smart. You know, his resume speaks for itself. This is going to be the toughest fight of my career, my toughest test to date, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m excited about that. I don’t only want to win, I want to dominate. For me to beat a guy like this, it’s really going to elevate my career.”
Aleem is trained by Bobby McRoy and promoter by Marshall Kauffman of Kings Promotions. In Muskegon, Aleem worked for several years with longtime trainer Terry Markowski, whom he’s considered the greatest influence of his boxing career.
Being from a smaller city like Muskegon, Aleem has had to scratch and claw for opportunities while remaining patient at the same time. He noticed that his career began to take off after he moved to boxing mecca Las Vegas in 2017.
Aleem seems to have plenty of momentum entering Saturday night’s fight. He intends on keeping it rolling.
“It’s taken ever since I turned pro to get to this moment right now. It’s been hard, but it’s fight after fight after fight, continuously getting better – putting on performances just like I did back in February and stuff. It’s been hard, but it’s worth it. A lot of preparation, a lot of focus and just really never giving up,” he said.
“Every fighter strives to fight on the big stage, you know, to fight in front of thousands, millions of people; to be able to fight for a world-title eliminator; to be able to fight for a world title; to be able to fight 10 rounds, 12 rounds. You know, that’s what every fighter strives for, but every fighter’s not able to get to that point. Only the top fighters can really get there and then they can excel. It feels great. I’m just ready for war.”
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