ISLAMABAD : 11 August 2026 – Bigger Picture and Strawberry Sports launched No Cage for Falcon, an international biopic that traces the life and career of Muhammad Waseem, Pakistan’s first professional boxing world champion. The announcement took place at a launch ceremony held at the Islamabad Club and attended by a vast cross-section of the society and media.
It is a true story and inspired epic on the journey of a boxing prodigy from obsecurity to global acclaim.
Directed by Ammad Azhar, No Cage for Falcon follows Waseem’s path from a modest upbringing in Pakistan from Quetta to Karachi and to the world stage of professional boxing: a story of discipline, sacrifice, and belief carried against odds that would have stopped most fighters.
Ammad Azhar’s another production, Gor Kun had won American Award. He is renown film director and has remarkable work on his credit.
The filmmakers have conceived the project as an international production from the outset. Principal photography will take place in Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, a plan that reflects the scale and reach of the story. Production will begin in 2027, and the theatrical release is planned for 2028.
ATHLETE, Pakistan’s premier sports and wellness magazine, joins the project as print media partner. Wild Parrot serves as marketing partner, and ATHLETE TV serves as television partner.
“It is a film about what it costs to become the first, and what it means to carry that weight for a country. I have lived this story. Now I am trusting Bigger Picture & Strawberry Sports to tell it to the world.”
World Champion Falcon Waseem , while addressing the participants at the launch event in Islamabad shared, “Every frame of this film has to be done exquisitely. We are not building a highlight reel of a boxer’s career. We are bringing the times and life of a man who fought his way out of obscurity, and we intend to do that with the same discipline he brought to the ring.”
Ammad Azhar ,the director said, “No Cage for Falcon is a top-class motion-picture project of global scale. The film is built to travel beyond our borders, made with the ambition and craft this story deserves. We are taking up this unique and daunting task with joy and pride.”
Haider Ali Daud Khan of Bigger Picture and Strawberry Sports said, our team has worked very hard on this project. We decided to produce a movie on the people who excelled in the life but never asked for publicity.
He said the movie will not only get the attention of the sports lovers but also highlight the potential the youth of our country has.
On the ignored sports , Haider said, we have met with the players including girls of Base Ball, Volley Ball as well and traveled to Lyari to meet the players of Football. Our team is always ready to encourage the talent of Pakistani youth.
To a question that formula movies revolve around a triangle of Hero Heroin and Willain. Who is Heroin and who is Willain in this movie. Haider smiled and replied, ” The movie has both but lets keep the suspense for the viewers.”
To another question that ok do not tell about who is the heroin but let us know Waseem had some willain in his life? Haider answered, yes ! but declined to share details and said, it will be a complete movie with all ingredients including struggle for success, romance, rivalry etc.
Waseem’s coach Tariq and writer of the story Hammad Hassan were also present at the launch event.
Here it is worth mentioning that Pakistan structurally privileges cricket only, but exceptional athletes continually break through to demand national attention and institutional support. Corporate backing and media rights are heavily skewed toward cricket, leaving federations for boxing, wrestling, squash, hockey, and athletics to struggle with weak infrastructure. Despite these systemic barriers, the narrative is slowly shifting due to massive global triumphs and a strong push for athletic revival.
This movie on Waseem will not only attract the attention of the government and sports lovers as well as investors but encourage the youth of Pakistan to take part in healthy activities and they can also be succeeded like Waseem earned name and fame in the world.
Falcon Waseem’s Career at a Glance ;
Pakistan’s only professional boxer Muhammad Waseem defeated Philippines’ Jether Oliva for World Boxing Council (WBC) Silver flyweight title in Seoul, South Korea on 17 July 2016. In a 12-round competition, Waseem strongly knocked out Oliva and managed to gain fourth position in international boxing ranking.
Pakistani boxer Muhammad Waseem, also called ‘Falcon’ for his swift boxing style, topped the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) flyweight division list for the first time in four years on 20 Dec 2021. He became the first Pakistani to have won the WBA flyweight title eliminator fight. Before the showdown, he was ranked fourth in the flyweight division category.
Waseem’s ranking improved after he beat Colombia’s Robert Barrera in Dubai in Nov 2020 and won the WBA flyweight title eliminator fight. He also won the World Boxing Council (WBC) silver flyweight title in the process for a second time. His last professional fight was against Jeny Boy Boca from the Philippines in 2020 at the Punjab Governor House in Lahore.
Belonging to Quetta, 28-year-old Waseem is the first boxer of the country who won the WBC international professional title.He underwent two-month special training in United States and Japan for this fight.Muhammad Waseem began his professional career in South Korea last year and won the Korean Bantamweight title on debut.
He had previously secured knockout wins in all three of his professional bouts and also had an impressive amateur record with 2014 Commonwealth Games silver medal and 2010 World Combat Games gold medal to his name.
On 29 Nov 2026, Muhammad Waseem won his World Boxing Association Gold World Bantamweight title against Thai boxer Jakrawut Majungoen in 12-round bout at Garrison Sports Complex Lahore on Saturday night.
Waseem brought the IBC Fight for Glory event to Lahore, and this was his title defence bout.
Earlier, he won the WBA Gold World title in Quetta in May, fulfilling his life-long dream of winning a world belt in front of his home crowd.
The Fight for Glory event took place with the support of Punjab Government and Pakistan Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz witnessed the final bout as the chief guest.
The Corporate and Systemic Imbalance
Financial Monopoly: Corporate sponsors historically maintain that “if it’s not cricket, it’s not an investment,” choking off funds for other sports.
Institutional Neglect: Non-cricket sports federations fight administrative drift, weak governance, and poor grassroots infrastructure.
Media Exclusion: Television contracts and commercial campaigns overwhelmingly choose cricketers, leaving other athletes hidden from public view.
Breaking the Monopoly: Non-Cricket Successes
The financial dominance of cricket is regularly challenged by massive athletic milestones that capture the entire country’s imagination.
Athletics: Arshad Nadeem completely altered the national sports landscape by winning the 2024 Paris Olympics Gold medal in Javelin with an Olympic record throw of 92.97m. He followed this by winning gold at the Islamic Solidarity Games and advancing to the final at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Field Hockey: Once the pride of the nation, the national hockey team is currently on a path of revival. The “Green Shirts” qualified for the 2026 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup in Europe and secured a spot in the elite FIH Hockey Pro League, funded through a joint effort by the state sports board and the cricket board itself.
And finally in combat sports , Falcon Waseem is the major example to change the minds set on Cricket only. Waseem has many times pointed out that government and sports investors should promote and support other sports as well.
The Biopic is an effort to the same direction.
