It took all of five minutes and seven seconds for ace boxer Vijender Singh to get the job done against Eliasu Sulley at 'The Jungle Rumble' on Wednesday. The reigning national West Africa Boxing Union Champion had a 100 per cent record from eight bouts coming into the contest, but Vijender's jabs, hooks and uppercuts proved to be too much for the Ghanian.
The crowd at the Balbir Juneja Stadium in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, which was hosting its first professional boxing fight, had its money's worth as the Olympic bronze medallist pocketed his 13th professional win. From the outside, it looked like a walk in the park for the world championships medallist. The truth however is far from what it appears.
For Vijender was just not fighting Sulley on the night. He also had to confront the memories from his previous fight, his first professional defeat which came last year.
"It was a very difficult fight for me." Vijender tells Firstpost. "From the outside, it may look like it was an easy outing in the ring for me, but that's not the truth. It's difficult to fight when the previous defeat flashes before your eyes."
Vijender lost his first professional bout last year after a 12-match winning streak in an event in Goa against Russia's Artysh Lopsan. On Wednesday, the defeat to unheralded Lopsan played on Vijender's mind as he took the ring against Sulley, but he soon regained his confidence once he started landing his punches and buried the pain of the defeat once and for all.
"I never thought it will be over in just two rounds. I was expecting it to go for full six rounds. Some negativity and nervousness were there inside me at the start of the bout. But once I connected an uppercut in the second round I got my confidence back. I got the belief that I can finish him, I can win this bout," he says.
Vijender Singh beats Ghana's Eliasu Sulley !! Congratulations @boxervijender @dprcg_gov @ChhattisgarhCMO @DPRChhattisgarh @Chinmay_TI @purplegoatsport #raipur #CGNews #Ghana #India #boxing #news pic.twitter.com/lqRvXRHXBS
— Suruchi Mishra Dhanerwal (@sur_ruchi03) August 17, 2022
"This win has helped me to get over the previous loss. My coach and team members were also saying the same thing before I stepped into the ring. They kept saying, 'don't think about the last bout, focus on this match. This is important.' I won't have those flashbacks anymore."
Vijender wasn't at his best physically in the fight against Lopsan last year. In contrast, he was a lot quicker and sharper against Sulley. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Asian Games gold medallist had fought Lopsan without training with his regular coach Lee Beard and the team. This time around they cheered for him from the side of the ring.
"I did a lot of sparring in Manchester, even with boys from higher weight categories. The successful UK training camp worked in our favour. There were some niggles but all’s well that ends well, so we are happy," Vijender says highlighting the difference training with Beard made.
For now, Vijender is at his home in New Delhi, but he is in no mood to sit back and relax. He has fought just three bouts in the last three years. Now 36, Vijender wants to maximise his remaining time as a professional boxer.
"Hopefully, in the next 15 days, we will have our next bout planned out. It will be in India only. My training program will depend on the date of the bout, December or January. Will be training again in the UK only," he signs off.
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