The bout is so far his biggest and most important one since turning pro, but for Vijender Singh, the WBO Asia title fight against Kerry Hope, is just another bout on the circuit as he steps ahead in his career.
The pugilist who is 30 years old is so far unbeaten in his professional career, winning all his bout on knockouts.
Vijender’s focus and aim in what can possibly be seventh knockout win for him remains the same akin to his other matches.
“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 told PTI A�prior to the ten round contest on Saturday night.
“Saturday’s fight is not a be all or end all fight for me. It’s being built up like a big, big fight but for me it’s like any other fight. Get inside the ring, win it, come back and focus on the next. I have a lot to do, this fight is like one more step in my career. I don’t think it’s a big deal for me. For me ok, it’s a job, get done with it,” he said.
Vijender will face-off against Kerry Hope. who has fought 30 bouts winning 23 of them and two out of these in knockouts. Born in Wales, Hope who is WBC middleweight champion had emigrated to Australia and for the encounter against Vijender has moved up a division to super middle weight.
When asked to comment on Hopes, Vijender who is India’s first Olympic and World Championships medallist said he rather opted to focus on himself.
“We are just doing our training. I am not bothered about what he might be doing. I am just focussed on myself,” the strapping six-footer said.
“I don’t think anybody needs to talk big, because ultimately the punch does the talking. If an opponent says something nasty and even if I talk back with something more nasty, that hardly makes a difference to the result inside the ring. So I prefer to talk in the ring because only there everyone would know who is best or better,” he explained.
If he wins A�the title bout, Vijender would enter the top-15 of the WBO tally, almost exactly a year since he turned pro.
“This bout has come at the right time although it’s been just one year since I turned pro because I am not a 20-year-old greenhorn. I am an experienced guy and I train a lot,” he said.
