After two bouts of four rounds apiece and two wins as well, Vijender Singh takes his task up a notch when he faces Bulgarian Samet Hyuseinov in a six round bout on Saturday. Besides an expected longer bout, this would come against someone who has an experience of 14 fights winning seven and losing the remainder.
Vijender started his pro boxing career with wins against Sonny Whiting in October in Manchester and Dean Gillen in November in Dublin. The two wrestlers had a combined experience of five fights which made Vijender’s task easier is quick knockout finishes. But this time around, the Haryana boxer will find it tougher to finish the job. Further, the bout is scheduled for six rounds as against four rounds in his two previous fights which would need him to build up endurance. And he is ready for that.
“I’ve been sparring more now because we will have six rounds as against four rounds earlier. This is my first fight of six rounds. I’ve been working more and putting a lot more focus on my fitness,” he said in the run-up to the fight from Manchester.
“I can’t reveal the strategy just yet so wait and see. I’ve been working with different partners of bigger weight categories to get better. I’ve also been discussing with my coach on the approach to follow. When you are going for four rounds, you prepare to last six rounds and in this case I’ve been preparing to last eight rounds,” he added on the strategy.
like his first fight against Whiting, Hyuseinov has also engaged in trash talk. The Bulgarian said: “I don’t see Vijender as a threat. I don’t think Vijender is ready to fight someone like me yet and he is saying what he will do to me as if I don’t exist and he will stop me. He still punches like an amateur and he will feel the full force of a true professional now.
“I’m sorry India but your man is going to lose,” he finished off.
In response, Vijender who doesn’t believe in trash talk or answering outside the ring, maintained his stance that he will only answer come Saturday. “I don’t know how to respond. I can only answer in the ring. It is not like me to trash talk. I focus on the fight and will talk there,” said the former Olympic and World Championships bronze medallist.
Facing an experienced boxer, Vijender isn’t perturbed and considers his height to be the difference between the two. “Each fight is different (compared to previous two). I’ve planned accordingly and there is preparation like that. I am taller than him and that would be important in the fight. This would give me a bigger frame and larger span to hit him with,” he stated.
The fight will take place at the same arena in Manchester where Vijender had faced Whiting.