New Delhi: Recently turned Pro, star Indian boxer, Vijender Singh, climbed new heights in his professional career as he clinched the WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight title with a dominating win over former WBC European champion Kerry Hope in the capital on Saturday.
The 30-year-old Indian took all 10 rounds to systematically dismantle the 34-year-old Welsh-born Australian and record his seventh straight win in the circuit, a year after turning professional.
Saturday was also the longest that Singh spent inside the ring to clinch a win since turning pro besides being his first points win after six knockouts.
The six-footer from Haryana scored 98-92, 98-92, 100-90 to be the unanimous winner.
Singh, who as an amateur held the distinction of being India’s first Olympic and World Championships medallist, was hardly pushed despite playing all 10 rounds and was cheered deliriously by a packed partisan crowd. The Indian had the who’s who of sports, politics and entertainment industry cheering him from the ringside and he put up a dominating performance to send the crowd into hysteria with his lethal right jabs and uppercuts.
Who’s who of all field were present to cheer Singh in Delhi. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to celebrated woman boxer M.C. Mary Kom, who choked a bit while acknowledging a loud applause from the crowd, star wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, cricketers Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina to actor Randeep Hooda, celebrities adorned the front rows by the ringside and Singh did not disappoint any of them with yet another clinical performance in what was to be a 10-round contest.
Singh seemed to be looking for a knockout blow from the very beginning even though Hope was the more attacking of the two. But the Australian’s inability to connect cleanly proved to be his undoing against a rival, who waited patiently to throw his accurate blows. To his credit, Hope tried his best early on but just could not find a way to breach Singh’s defence, hampered to an extent by his shorter arms.
Meanwhile, Twitterati applauded the grand win by Vijender Singh:
Prime Minister congratulated Singh on Twitter.
Congratulations @boxervijender for a hard fought and well deserved win. It was yet another display of immense skill, strength & stamina.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 16, 2016
Indian’s limited overs cricket captain MS Dhoni wasted no time to applaud Singh
Saw a full mch of boxing after yrs.thks @boxervijender for mkg INDIA proud,it’s just the start ur hrd wrk,dedication and sacrifice paid off
— Mahendra Singh Dhoni (@msdhoni) July 16, 2016
what a night at the ring? Great show by all the fighters.. And..the new champ is here👊 @boxervijender 👏👏👏 #boxing pic.twitter.com/RTSh4dKFsq
— Randeep Hooda (@RandeepHooda) July 16, 2016
Great bout @boxervijender ! Kudos to your unrelenting & fighting spirit, which brought us the title. Well done.Keep the tricolor flying high
— Rajyavardhan Rathore (@Ra_THORe) July 17, 2016
This is so awesome! #VijenderSingh https://t.co/RrSoFJ93H4
— Dia Mirza (@deespeak) July 17, 2016
#VijenderSingh Hard fought ..Well earned so proud of this champion ! We surely need some heroes around here .. pic.twitter.com/ybaqf8Zzqm
— Chitrangda Singh (@IChitrangda) July 16, 2016
Congrats @boxervijender! You rule! India is proud! Salute! #SinghIsKing #SinghvsHope
— Ayushmann Khurrana (@ayushmannk) July 16, 2016
Congratulations to the talented @boxervijender for winning the WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight title. #Haryana is proud of you!
— Manohar Lal (@mlkhattar) July 17, 2016
Congratulations @boxervijender 👏You deserve every bit of the WBO title👍Great sporting news for India.
Made the nation proud👊 #VijenderSingh— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) July 17, 2016