Meet the ex-bikie who was shot in the chest SIX times at a funeral… now he’s a boxing world champion
- Sam Abdulrahim is a boxing champion
- Former motorcyclist was shot six times in the chest
- He rebounded to pursue his boxing dream
A former Mongolian motorcyclist has become a boxing champion less than two years after being shot six times in the chest.
Sam Abdulrahim, 34, was shot during his cousin’s funeral at Fawkner Cemetery, in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, in June 2022.
He was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a critical condition but survived, telling his gang rivals: ‘Allah is greater than all these flops, they will get their day.’
And now the 34-year-old known as ‘The Punisher’ has won the WBC Australian cruiserweight championship after beating Thailand’s Panya Chomphoophuang on Thursday.
The pair were scheduled to meet at Melbourne’s Furlan Club but the venue was set on fire just days before he was due to enter the ring last month.
Sam Abdulrahim is world boxing champion after his victory on Thursday evening
Abdulrahim, a former motorcyclist from Mongolia, made a ‘miraculous recovery’ after being shot six times in the chest during a funeral
The fire forced the closure of the family business and investigators have linked the incident to Victoria’s tobacco wars, with News Corp suggesting tensions between exiled underworld boss Kazem Hamad and Abdulrahim have been rife for some time.
Instead, the undefeated fighter won his title overseas, scoring a fifth-round knockout victory with a stunning uppercut that doubled down Chomphoophuang.
Abdulrahim couldn’t contain his joy as his new belt was wrapped around his waist after the fight and posed with his team for winning photos.
He later shared a series of congratulatory messages on his Instagram page.
Attackers traveling in a Mazda ambushed Abdulrahim’s Mercedes car and fired several bullets at the kickboxer’s luxury vehicle during the botched shooting in June 2022.
Abdulrahim then managed to escape and drive to a nearby police station to seek help.