What’s the story?
Indian boxing superstar Vijender Singh is all set to fight his next bout in India on April 1st against Chinese boxer Zulpikar Maimaitiali, who is the current WBO Oriental Super Middleweight Champion. Singh, who is the current WBO Asia Pacific title, will fight Maimaitiali in Mumbai and both fighters are going to put their titles on the line in a winner-takes-all bout.
Sources, speaking to Sportskeeda, said, “Vijender is going to fight his next bout in Mumbai and he is looking to step up the ante in his professional career. Having already fought in New Delhi, Vijender now wants to fight in Mumbai and looking forward to it. He is hoping that crowds in Mumbai will be as boisterous and loud as the ones in Delhi.”
“The bout is also going to feature boxers Akhil Kumar and Jitendra Kumar, who have turned professional recently, along with some debutants. Venue is not yet decided but it is going to be a popular stadium,” sources told Sportskeeda.
Like Vijender Singh, Maimaitiali is also new to professional boxing and made his debut in 2015. He has fought eight bouts till now and won seven of them, which include five knockouts.
In Case You Didn’t Know
Vijender Singh has got off to an excellent start in his professional career, winning all eight bouts till now. He is the current holder of the WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight title and recently beat Francis Cheka in an anti-climatic bout in India that was held in December 2016. Vijender is based out of United Kingdom at present and trains in North England with trainer Lee Beard.
Heart of the Matter
The Vijender Singh juggernaut continues to move on and his professional career has been in the limelight ever since it started. A lot of his critics say that the 31-year-old is yet to fight an opponent of serious credibility and can only prove himself when he does the same. However, he is unbeaten at the moment and statistics are in his favour along with age.Sportskeeda’s Take
Boxing aficionados in India will be excited to see Vijender Singh in Mumbai and the focus will now shift from New Delhi to the capital of Maharashtra. Along with Vijender, the fight night will also feature Akhil Kumar and Jitender Kumar, something that is a positive sign for the country's boxing circuit and fraternity.
