After defeating his latest opponent, Amir Mansour waits for his shot at the heavyweight championship of the world

A shot at a world title drives heavyweight contender Amir Mansour.

When he stepped into the ring last month to face Travis Kauffmann, Mansour was a decided underdog. Some of it was perception, but most of it was the venue.

Mansour had agreed to fight Kauffmann, who’s lost only once in his career at Santander Arena in Reading, PA.

Kauffmann, who lives in Reading, would be fighting for the third time at the arena.

Hometown decisions have been a problem in boxing for years. The away-fighter can be down a couple of rounds before the match even begins.

Feeling he had no choice, Mansour decided to roll the dice.

“It bothered me a little, but what can you do,?” Mansour told this writer on the phone a few weeks ago. “I had to fight.”

And fight he did, but,with a few more wrinkles.

“The plan going in against Kauffmann was to box more,” Mansour said. "I knew that he expected me to come out swinging for the fences. And I knew that I’d never gave anybody the look, where I come out jabbing and boxing, staying on the outside, and using my legs and boxing skills.”

Mansour likes to engage. His preference is let fly with hands that have produced 16 knockouts in 23 wins. But there’s more to his game, and against Kauffmann, he was determined to show it.

“One of things we focused on during training was for me staying relaxed,” said Mansour. “I tend to engage real fast—and get into a toe-to-toe war. I stayed disciplined during the fight.

“Believe it or not, I can fight in several different styles. I can make transitions. You have to be able to change up against these guys.”

Mansour was wobbled in Round two.

“He caught me with a good shot,” Mansour said matter-of-factly. “We’re heavyweights. Whenever we land good shots we feel it. I stepped in the pothole. I think I won that round anyway. I landed more shots.”

Mansour took over the fight in the second half, winning rounds eight thru 11 with volume and accurate punching. The 44-year-old was in great shape.

“Fatigue is mental,” said Mansour. “You have to be there mentally. You’re in shape to come back. That night I was really there mentally.”

At 44, age is a factor only because Mansour knows he can’t fight forever.

But as former two-time heavyweight champion George Foreman told me, you should never underestimate a fighter due to his age.

“Amir Mansour,“said Foreman. “Never count out a fighter ’cause he’s 44. I was 45 when I won my second title.”