Press Trust of India
New Delhi, July 11: It is the biggest fight of his emergent professional career, but Vijender Singh Monday said the WBO Asia title contest against Kerry Hope is no huge deal for him and he is taking it as just another stepping stone in the circuit.
The 30-year-old dasher, who is unbeaten in the professional arena, has won all his bouts via knockouts. Eyeing a seventh knockout in what is meant to be a 10-round contest, Vijender said his approach to the contest is no different from the one he had for his previous bouts.
“I won all my six bouts, the seventh is coming up one year into the circuit. So I am a pro now, I am feeling like a pro now,” Vijender stated.
Vijender is up against Hope, who brings with him an experience bank of 30 bouts, of which he has won 23, two of them knockouts. Hope was also a WBC middleweight champion and has moved a division to super middleweight to take on the Haryana-lad.The title bout, a win in which would give him a crack at the top-15 of WBO rankings, comes exactly a year after he turned pro.
Vijender’s British trainer Lee Beard, who is here with him for this weekend’s fight, said he has worked on adding variations to the Indian star’s powerful jab.“He has always had a great right hand. I have been focussing on his left. He had a great jab too and the way he sets it up (the punches) is very good. We have been working on the variations to his jab,” he said.
The bout will be held at the Thyagaraj Stadium, and Vijender has already invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sachin Tendulkar and several other dignitaries for what promises to be a mega-event.
Hope promises triumph
New Delhi: Quite happy to be tagged the underdog, Vijender Singh’s opponent for this Saturday’s WBO Asia title bout, Kerry Hope, Monday said he is inspired by the giant-slaying Welsh football team which stunned one and all by reaching the Euro Championships semifinals recently. “I feel inspired by them, I have a chance to do what they (Wales football team) did
in the Euros, triumph of the underdog,” Hope told. “I will chop him down,” was the 34-year-old’s prompt reply when asked whether he has figured out how to hand Vijender his maiden professional defeat. “I love the underdog tag, there is no pressure on me. The expectations are from Vijender, so he is the one who has to live up to the pressure. I will really give him a tough challenge,” he said with confidence.
