NEW DELHI: A female fan standing nearby yelled her lungs out. Another male spectator kept gesticulating wildly. If there were any doubts as to whether Vijender Singh had a huge following in India, those were quelled as soon as the lights went out to announce his impending arrival. The way he was introduced would have better-suited a WWE world champion.
First, there were dancers in odd costumes, followed by a bevy of attractive girls, who were trailed by the WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight belt. Finally, Vijender appeared, accompanied by his trademark Singh is Kinng theme. Head down, the champion was a picture of focus as he made his way to the tarmac, while the adoring crowd gave him a standing ovation.
Challenger Francis Cheka was already there; he too had been accorded a warm welcome. He needed to follow up the trash talking with a solid performance for 10 rounds. However, as it turned out, Vijender ended the contest in the early moments of the third round to defend the title he won five months back.
At the Thyagaraj Sports Complex on Saturday night, the Indian was twinkle toes, and seemed to be mimicking some of the moves made famous by the legendary Muhammad Ali, and numerous others after him. There was no rope-a-dope — Vijender didn’t need it — but he did produce left-handed jabs from many angles, dodging of punches and even some showboating – dropping his guard and jutting his chin out a couple of times to instigate Cheka. It all turned out to be too much for the Tanzanian.
Afterward, Vijender said a blow from his right hand in the second round laid the platform for the early win. “I’d said that once he was on the receiving end of one of my right-handed punches, he would come crashing to the ground. That’s exactly what happened. After the blow in the second, I knew he wasn’t going to last any longer,” Vijender said, before dedicating the victory to the three soldiers who lost their lives in a terrorist attack in J&K earlier in the day.
While the International Premier Tennis League failed to gather much fan support during its Hyderabad run this year, with empty seats being the focus of many articles, this ‘Night of the Champions’ witnessed at least a 95 per cent attendance.
So much for those hoping that demonetisation would get the better of another sporting event. Even so, promoter Neerav Tomar, MD, IOS Boxing Promotions, said he felt he might have had to postpone the event. “The thought crossed my mind, because ticket sales were not so good in the early days, but we drew inspiration from the IPL and ISL to stick to our guns, and believe that crowds would turn up. In the end, it was the right choice to make,” Tomar beamed.
Who knew that pro boxing could be this fun to watch! It all goes to prove that a little ability and showmanship goes a long way in promoting an event.