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Ra'eese Aleem Exits Camp Focused, Hungry
& Ready To Dethrone Angelo Leo On May 9
With fight night one week from Saturday, Ra'eese Aleem is
exiting training camp with a clear message: he is ready, he
is evolved, and he is coming for the IBF Featherweight World
Championship. On Saturday, May 9, Ra’eese “The Beast” Aleem
(23-1, 12 KO’s) will face IBF World Champion Angelo “El
Chinito” Leo (26-1, 12 KO’s) in Atlanta at Gateway Center
Arena in a 12-round matchup – a fight years in the making,
both in history and in hunger.
The bout, presented by Salita Promotions in association with
Manny Pacquiao Promotions and Route 30 Promotions, headlines
a high-stakes fight card aimed at reestablishing Atlanta as
a destination for elite-level boxing. The event will stream
live worldwide on DAZN, at 8 p.m. Tickets on Sale at
Ticketmaster.
Aleem's camp has been built around refinement, not
reinvention. The focus: tighten the game, sustain the
pressure, and unlock dimensions of his skillset that
opponents haven't seen. He is not coming to survive the
night — he is coming to take over.
"This camp has been focused on tightening up my game,
keeping that pressure and showing a different side of who I
am, " said Aleem. I don't care what it takes, I believe I
have the necessary skills to dethrone Leo. I'm not taking
anything away from him either, he's a hell of a fighter, I
just know that I am a more elite fighter."
The Muskegon, Michigan native has never taken the easy road.
A self-made fighter who once trained himself ahead of a
professional bout, Aleem's discipline and independence are
foundational to who he is — inside and outside the ring.
"I'm a warrior, have been my whole life, I've never depended
on anyone but me, because at the end of the day it's just me
in the ring. There was a point in time when I trained myself
for a fight."
Aleem and Leo are not strangers. Six years ago, Aleem was in
Leo's corner as a sparring partner helping prepare him for
an opponent. That chapter is closed. The Ra'eese Aleem who
steps into the ring on May 9 is a different fighter
entirely.
"Angelo Leo and I are very familiar with each other. We
sparred 6 years ago, when I helped him get ready for an
opponent, but I've grown as a fighter since then. I'm going
to do what I need to do to take that belt from him and put
Muskegon, Michigan on the map."
The Atlanta stage is a platform Aleem is embracing fully.
For a fighter from Muskegon, Michigan, a fight on this level
in a market this size is an opportunity to introduce himself
to an entirely new audience — and he intends to make a
statement.
"Fighting in Atlanta opens me up to gain new fans, show them
why I'm the best fighter in the division and a fighter to
keep their eye on."
A win on May 9 is not the end of the story for Aleem — it is
the beginning of a division takeover. He is not interested
in holding a belt. He is interested in dominating a weight
class.
"When I win, I want to unify the division. I'm not ducking
any smoke."
With championship stakes, contrasting styles, and two
fighters determined to prove they are the best in the
division, Aleem vs. Leo is shaping up to be one of the most
competitive and compelling fights of the year.
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