WBO title fight will decide pro boxing’s future in India: Vijender

India’s first Olympics medal winning boxer beat Australian Kerry Hope 296-274 in a 10-round contest to win the WBO Asia-Pacific Super Middleweight title.

In his 12 years as a professional, Hope has endured 183 rounds of boxing compared to just 17 so far by Vijender, and it will be the first ever 10-round fight for Vijender. Hope has gone 3-0 since then, but at 34 years old there were questions as to what Hope had left heading into this fight. The chants of “Vijender, Vijender” grew to a deafening level in the final few seconds as Vijender’s right jab found its mark – twice.

Hailing from Merthyr Tydfil, a town in Wales, Hope has an impressive record.

Over in Germany, flyweight Charlie Edwards warmed up for his world title challenge against John Reil Casimero, coming out on top over six rounds against Jose Aguilar. Singh himself was exhausted too, but managed to stay on to win his seventh straight victory in professional boxing, and the WBO Asia-Pacific super middleweight title. “The 6’4” Rao could not cash ion on his physical advantage as he was lethargic throughout the fight and this gave the Haryana boy the edge over his 126-kg opponent.

He also won the World Boxing Council Asian Boxing Council middleweight title a year ago, defeating Poomrase Yoohanngoh.

But Vijender, who has been stressing about the work he put in expecting longer bouts, managed to hold on till the end. However, Vijender fought back hard.

While Francis Warren of Queensberry Promotions, one of the fight’s promoters, believes the entire eight fight card is a “monumental thing not just for India, but the entire region”, Vijender’s trainer Lee Beard has predicted a knockout win by his charge, who “fights well going forward from a defensive stance”.

During his pro career, he has shown some slick boxing skills, balanced with a ferocious attacking flair instilled by his coach Lee Beard, which has made him a hard fighter to face.

Round six further showed Vijender’s domination with more blows to Kerry’s right side. Vijender was declared victor a little over a minute into the fifth round of the super middleweight contest, incidentally his longest bout so far.

“I can’t wait for tomorrow”.

“It was a great fight”. “This is a happy homecoming for me”.