IRVINGTON, NJ — Muadh “Nim” Abdus-Salaam’s ultimate dream is to become a professional boxer.
His dream has come to fruition.
The 2018 Irvington High School graduate will make his professional boxing debut on June 21 at the Prudential Center in Newark, competing in the welterweight division.
“It feels great,” said Abdus-Salaam about becoming a pro boxer. “I’ve been dreaming about this my whole life. My father (Muhammad Abdus-Salaam) has been training me in boxing and I’ve been in the gym since I was about 3 years old. I’ve fought in the Junior Olympics, I fought in the Silver Gloves. I’ve been ranked No. 1 in the country, (and) been a national champion three or four times. This is something I have been dreaming about forever. I’ve been waiting and grinding for this. I just had some time off to go to school, graduate (and) get my degree. Once I got my degree, this was always in the plan. And now the time is finally here.”
Abdus-Salaam, 26, was a standout football player for the IHS Blue Knights as running back/outside linebacker. In fact, he was so good that he earned a football scholarship to Delaware State University in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA), where he played outside linebacker.
After earning his bachelor’s degree in sports management, Abdus-Salaam became a graduate assistant and earned his master’s degree in sports administration.
He immediately turned his attention to boxing. He competed in the Junior National Golden Gloves, the Silver Gloves Nationals, the National Junior Olympics and in a national Adidas tournament. He was ranked No. 1 in the nation after winning the Silver Gloves Nationals and was ranked No. 3 in the nation after taking silver at the National Junior Olympics.
Abdus-Salaam, who grew up in Irvington and Newark, currently belongs to Lyndhurst Boxing Gym. His father continues to train him.
Simply put, Abdus-Salaam loves boxing. And he wants to show people his boxing ability.
“I really love boxing,” he said. “A lot of people are into it for the world championships and for the money. Of course, I want to get paid for my likeness and getting punched on, but at the end of the day, I’ve been dreaming for this for so long, so my goal is to put the world on notice on who Muadh Abdus-Salaam is. Of course, I want to be a champion. Of course, I want to make the money. But my main goal is to put myself on display, because I really love it.”
And why does he love boxing so much?
“I love boxing because this is one of the only sports where it’s just you and another person trying to achieve something,” Abdus-Salaam said. “I played football. I’ve been a part of winning programs. I’ve been a part of losing programs. People can come sub you out. You can take a day off, but in boxing, you cannot take a day off. You can’t ‘play’ boxing. This is one of the only sports, you go into that ring and it’s just you.”
As he gets ready for his pro debut, Abdus-Salaam sees himself as a good example for any young boxer, showing that hard work and patience will pay dividends.
“If you dream about something, be patient and just keep grinding and keep chopping at it,” he said, when asked about what advice he would give any aspiring boxer. “I had to be real patient to get what I wanted and to get where I am at. So patience is always going to pay off. Everybody’s story and journey is their story and their journey. Don’t try to rush it. Don’t try to compare yourself to others and to make sure you remain consistent. And if you lose any motivation, remain consistent.”
For tickets to the June 21 fight, contact Muadh Abdus-Salaam at [email protected] or reach him at his Instagram account at _nim3.
Photos Courtesy of Muadh ‘Nim’ Abdus-Salaam
Irvington HS alum ‘Nim’ Abdus-Salaam fulfills his professional boxing dream added by Joe Ragozzino on
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