Former World Champion and 2008 U.S. Olympian, Sadam “World Kid” Ali (27-3, 14 KOs), makes his long-awaited return to the ring on Sunday afternoon, August 31, to headline “The Return” professional boxing event, presented by World Kid Promotions, in Detroit.
All the action will be streamed live on www.bxngtv.com from Wayne State Fieldhouse.
“The Return,” also featuring former world champion Richard “RC” Commey (30-5-1, 27 KOs), was initially scheduled for February 23 in Brooklyn.
The 36-year-old Ali, who fights out of Brooklyn, hasn’t fought in more than 6 years.
Ali will face a junior middleweight opponent to be determined in the 10-round main event. In 2017, he captured the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Junior Middleweight World title, upsetting then future Hall-of-Fame boxer Miquel Cotto (41-5) at the famed Madison Square Garden.
“I took some time off because I’ve been fighting my whole life since I was 8 years old,” Ali said. “I have accomplished becoming a U.S. Olympian and world champion. I miss boxing, and I miss the excitement of being in the ring. I’ve noticed that as long as I’m focused and determined, nothing can stop me. Now, I am back, ready to show what else I can do.
“I have fought numerous times in my hometown, New York City, and became a world champion in Madison Square Garden. For so many years, I have noticed I have a huge fanbase in Michigan, and I have never gotten the chance to fight there. This is the time to put on a great performance for all my fans in Michigan. This return is not a one-time fight; I am determined to relive my previous career. I’ve been world champion before, and I am set to become world champion again.”
Ghana-native Commey, fighting out of The Bronx, became the International Boxing Federation (IBF) Lightweight World Champion in 2019, when he stopped Isa Chaniev (13-1) in the second round. The 38-year-old welterweight has been out of the ring since March of 2023. He will be in an 8-round fight against a welterweight to be determined.
In the 8-round co-featured event, Dearborn Heights (MI) Husam “Lionheart” Al Mashhadi (12-1, 10 KOs) will be the hometown favorite in a junior middleweight bout vs. TBA. The talented southpaw is riding a 6-fight win streak.
Fighting on the undercard is Brooklyn bantamweight Khalid Twaiti (14-1, 5 KOs) in a 10-round match vs. TBA. A 2015 USA Nationals silver medalist, Twaiti is coming off his first pro loss this past June 6 to 10-0 Emanuel Moreno by way of an 8-round unanimous decision.