New Delhi: An extravagant build up, a promotion coated in colours and glitters and a raging war of words have all finally come to this — the showtime.
A year after going professional, star boxer Vijender Singh is all set to unleash his fiery punches in front of his home crowd for the first time when he takes on the former WBCC European champion Kerry Hope of Australia for the WBO Asia-Pacific super-middleweight title at the Thyagraj Sports Complex here on Saturday.
Originally from Wales, Hope boasts of an experience far greater than that of Vijender, having won 23 out of 30 bouts, including four knock-outs, in his 12-year long professional career. Vijender, on the other hand, has a short but enviable record comprising six wins in as many pro bouts, all being knockouts.
Weighing at 75.7 kg, Vijender looked much more excited, for obvious reasons, to go all guns blazing at his opponent on Saturday. “I can’t wait for tomorrow. I am fighting in Delhi after six years — the 2010 Commonwealth Games were the last time I fought in this city,” the 30-year-old puncher said.
Giving Vijender a dark glare, Hope said that his opponent did not look like he had been training. “We will see tomorrow” was the prompt response from the Beijing Olympics bronze-medallist.
The pressure of the massive crowd support will be on the local lad, believes Hope. “I have fought many bouts in the opponent’s backyard and know how it is. Vijender will have real pressure on him to win in front of his home crowd,” said the Australian.
Besides the feature bout of the night, there will be a number of exciting undercard fights including the IBC super welterweight title fight and two Indo-Thai bouts.
Many celebrities will assemble to witness the action, including cricketers Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Kapil Dev, double Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, actors Irrfan Khan, Jimmy Shergil, Randeep Hooda and Neha Dhupia, BJP president Amit Shah, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
