Sadam Ali's career highlight: Defeating Terence Crawford to become 2008 U.S. Olympian
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 20 Aug 2025
“The Return” on August 31 in Detroit
DETROIT (August 19, 2025) – A special and rare daily double in boxing belongs to former World Champion and 2008 U.S. Olympian, Sadam “World Kid” Ali (27-3, 14 KOs), who will make his return to the ring after 6 years of inactivity on Sunday afternoon, August 31, headlining “The Return” professional boxing event, presented by World Kid Promotions, in Detroit.
All the action will be streamed via www.bxngtv.com live from Wayne State Fieldhouse.
The 36-year-old Ali, who fights out of Brooklyn, captured the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Junior Middleweight World title in 2017, upsetting then future Hall-of-Famer Miquel Cotto (41-5) at the famed Madison Square Garden. But Ali’s career highlight, to date, is defeating another all-time great, Terence “Bud” Crawford, to become a 2008 U.S. Olympian.
How many fighters, if any other than Ali, have defeated Cotto and Crawford?
“My highlight definitely has to be beating Crawford to become a U.S. Olympian,” Ali admits. “I knew the opportunity would also come for me to become world champion.”
Now, 6 years after he last fought, Ali is preparing to headline “The Return” in the 10-round main event versus Cody Wilson (14-5, 9 KOs). And he’s making his return in Detroit as opposed to at home in Brooklyn.
“My whole life has been about boxing since I was 8 years old,” Ali explained. “I achieved becoming an Olympian and world champion as a professional. It was time for me to take a break. As time went by, the hunger grew more and more; I really missed being in the ring. My training has been going well. Every fighter knows that preparing for a fight is always harder than the actual fight. Training physically hasn’t changed, but mentally I’ve gotten smarter. Nothing in my life has been a one and done, everything is in God’s hand from here on out.
“I’ve always noticed that I have a big fanbase in Michigan, but I’ve never had the opportunity to entertain fans there until now. God willing, if everything goes well and the right opportunity comes along, I am right back in, but there’s no one in particular I have my sights set on. I have been there before, and I never backed down from anyone.”
Ali isn’t the only former world champion on “The Return” card. Ghana-native Richard “RC” Commey (30-5-1, 27 KOs), 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, who has been out of the ring since March of 2023, returns in a 6-round bout against a welterweight to be determined.
“Everyone on this card is motivated to be a world champion,” Ali concluded. “I’m not the only world champion on the card, there’s also Richard Commey. I can only hope that would inspire all fighters on the card to become world champion.”
Local favorite, Dearborn Heights (MI) Husam “Lionheart” Al Mashhadi (12-1, 10 KOs), who is riding a 6-fight win streak, will take on Ghana junior middleweight Abraham Afful (16-6-1, 13 KOs) in the 8-round co-featured event.
Also fighting on the undercard is Brooklyn bantamweight Khalid Twaiti (14-1, 5 KOs) in a 10-round match vs. TBA. The 2015 USA Nationals silver medalist is coming off his first pro loss this past June 6.
Card subject to change.
Tickets are on sale, priced between $200.85 and $41.20, and available for purchase online at https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/64465842/the-return-boxing-event-detroit-wayne-state-fieldhouse, as well as at Wayne State Fieldhouse (313.577.4069, Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. EST-2 p.m. EST).
Doors open at 3 p.m. ET with the first bout at 4 p.m. ET.
INFORMATION
Facebook: #SadamAli #KhalidTwaiti #RichardCommey #KhalidTwaiti #HusamAlmashhadi
Instagram: @theworldkidali @khalidtwaiti @RichardCommey
X: @realworldkidalo @khalidali @RichardCommey @lionheart_isme
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