VIDEO: Indian boxer Vijender Singh aims to win Dubai debut in style

Amir Naqvi, Sports Editor

Oozing confidence, ace Indian boxer Vijender Singh is looking to make his Dubai debut a perfect one.

Vijender will face former Ghanaian Olympian and two-time Commonwealth Super middleweight champion Charles Adamu at RotundaRumble2 card at the D4G event in association with MTK Global and Round 10 Boxing at Caesars Palace, Bluewaters in Dubai on Friday.

Vijender, who has been training in Manchester with trainer Lee Beard ahead of the bout, said, “I am excited to make my debut in Dubai and looking to a knockout win in the early rounds.

“I am fully prepared as I have gone through a rigorous training for the past couple of months for this particular bout,” added the WBO Asia Pacific and Oriental Super middleweight champion from India who holds an 11-0 record, with eight knockout wins.

Talking about his ultimate goal, Vijender, who became the first Indian boxer to win a medal at the Olympics after bagging bronze at 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, said his target is to win the world title next year. “For me these fights are going to be a build-up to the world title which I am aiming for in 2020.”

He made his US debut in July 2019 in a win against Mike Snider which was his 11th successive win.

Adamu, a veteran of 47 fights, has a record of 33-14-0 including 26 knockouts. His last bout was in February this year where he managed to break a four-bout losing streak.

The 42-year-old represented Ghana at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur and won bronze.

He was the Commonwealth Super middleweight champion twice, first between August 2003 and March 2004 and then from December 2009 to April 2010.

The huge RotundaRumble2 card also includes fighters from no less than 15 countries highlighted by Pakistani boxing hero Muhammad Waseem, England’s WBO world no.1 Jack Catterall and WBO world bantamweight No. 4 Thomas Patrick. A busy undercard kicks off with two local debutants in Fahad Al Bloushi and Sultan Al Nuaimi.

Waseem, who is in talks with MTK Global to open an academy in Islamabad, is basking in the support lent by two legendary Pakistani bowlers including Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar and is ready to win his second bout in Dubai.

Waseem, who won his last fight in Dubai in September in just 62 seconds after flooring Conrado Tanamor of the Philippines, said: “I got lots of attention for my last victory and the people of Dubai seemed to love me and support me.”

Although Waseem was narrowly denied the world crown by now MTK Global team-mate Moruti Mthalane, he takes the next step back towards the top against tough Mexican Ganigan Lopez (36-10, 19 KOs).

Meanwhile, Ahmed A Seddiqi, founder of Round 10 Boxing Club in Dubai, is understandably enthused by the prospect of hosting another historic event after September’s sold-out Rotunda Rumble show.

Seddiqi said: “This is a great story for Dubai and the people and fans are proud to be hosting such an inclusive event. We look forward to welcoming fighters from all over the world here again.

“Some of these fighters are operating at the very top of the sport already and there are two clear examples in Jack and Vijender, who will go on to fight for world titles as soon as 2020.”