Lockport Man is ‘Mandatory Challenger’ for Next WKA Title Fight
By John D’Onofrio
Lockport Union-Sun & Journal
Lockport professional kickboxer Amer Abdallah has been ranked the No. 2 Cruiserweight in the world by the World Kickboxing Association.
The highly-anticipated news the kickboxing world has been expecting finally came last week from WKA President Brian Crenshaw, who notified Abdallah of the news via e-mail while Abdallah was vacationing last week with his family in Jordan.
“As soon as I saw the subject was ‘WKA RANKING,’ my heart dropped,” Abdallah said. “My wife noticed the look on my face and asked if I was okay. It wasn’t until after I read the first few sentences that I was able to look at her and smile ear to ear.”
The WKA head office in Europe has officially announced Abdallah as the No. 2-ranked Cruiserweight in the world and has given him the opportunity to fight for the world title.
Abdallah’s 10-round unanimous decision victory over European champion James Wallis on June 7 allowed him not only to capture the WKA Inter-Continental Championship, but also makes him the “mandatory challenger” for the next world championship fight.
“I’m thrilled, humbled, and anxious all together,” Abdallah said. “It’s a life-long goal that I don’t have to dream about anymore, I can actually grasp.”
With Lace Up Promotions set on a Nov. 15th date at the Kenan Arena, Abdallah says it’s possible, though unlikely that the fight will happen that quickly.
“I’m very pleased at Amer’s number two ranking, but our ultimate goal has always been winning a world title,” said Team Abdallah Manager Ahmed Imamovic.
“We’ll go through the offers and look at each closely. Team Abdallah is very excited to continue this journey and to be able to share it with all of the fans who have supported us throughout.”
Abdallah is expected to return in mid-August from his overseas goodwill visit where he is visiting local charities, orphanages and refugee camps.
“My immediate focus right now is helping the thousands of homeless and parentless kids here in their current situation. I’ll decide our next step after getting home and discussing it with my team.”
