Interview Dated April 2006

Kassim Ouma

The story of Kassim Ouma is nothing short of amazing. Kidnapped by a rebel army in his native Uganda at the age of five, he was forced to become a solider as a child. Ouma then slipped away into the United States when the Ugandan boxing team traveled here to compete. He spent time sleeping on the streets of Washington, D.C. while sparring in gyms during the day. Ouma has since won, lost and then recaptured world boxing titles. He is currently preparing for a defense against Marco Antonio Rubio in Las Vegas on May 6th. I spoke with him after a recent workout at the Savannah Boxing Club.

HBS - Do you want to say anything about your childhood?

KO - It's nothing I talk about. Most of the time when I'm getting ready for a fight I don't talk about my childhood story. It's very sore so I can't talk about it anymore. You've got to wait for it in a movie or in a book. We've got a movie in the making by Plan B. So you want to talk about my life story, you gotta ask Plan B.

HBS - Tell us about the Verno Phillips fight.

KO - That's when I won the title but now I'm going ahead and I'm pretty much focusing about Rubio and that's the main thing I've got out there.

HBS - What do you see as his strengths that you have to overcome and his weaknesses that you're going to have to take advantage of?

KO - I'm just going to bring everything. I'm working here with Ronnie Shields and my trainer is Jay (Johns). I'm just working whatever they're working me and go bring on the table. Whatever he brings it's going to start from there. I'm going to do it.

HBS - Any techniques you're working on?

KO - I'm working on staying low so if you can hear that Rubio, I'm staying low. If you catch me it's right there but I know you're not going to find me.

HBS - Do you want to say anything about winning the title back after you lost it?

KO - It's working hard. I live in Florida and I come here to work hard. So that's what I did. Hard work pays. So I did that and it was a knockout. That's my second one with Ronnie so we're making it happen.

HBS - How did you end up here?

KO - I came to find Ronnie. He gave me my name "The Dream".

HBS - What does it mean?

KO - For little kids that go to school, just never let your dream go. If you dream about accomplishing something, always keep up. Don't never let anything get you down. Keep your dream going.