Wait for Haryanvi 'latth', Vijender tells opponent (IANS Interview)

Gearing up for his next professional bout later this month, Indian professional boxer Vijender Singh on Monday asked his African opponent Ernest Amuzu to wait for the 'Haryanvi latth' (baton).

The 32-year-old from Haryana who will face the 34-year-old African champion in Jaipur on December 23, went on to assert in his Haryanvi dialect: "Lath gaad denge iss baar".

Vijender has enjoyed a great run in his fledgling professional career, winning all his nine fights of which seven were knockouts.

The reigning WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight Champion and WBO Oriental Super Middleweight Champion asserted that he will leave no stone unturned to preserve his unbeaten record.

"Usko bolo wait kare Haryanvi latth ka (Tell him to wait for the Haryanvi latth)," Vijender told IANS on Monday.

Despite all the confidence and bravado of the Indian star, he will ignore Amuzu's formidable record at his own peril.

The Ghanian holds a record of 23 wins with 21 knockouts and two losses out of the 25 fights he has fought so far in his professional career.

The current West African Boxing Union Middleweight champion and Ghanaian middleweight champion has also been an amateur boxer who participated in the Commonwealth Games 2002, All Africa Games in 2004 and two African Championships in 2003 and 2005.

Vijender however, feels that the African's boxing style will be easier to handle than the opponent from his last bout.

Vijender said is Amuzu is orthodox player unlike last opponent, which will provide him a little bit of advantage.

In the last fight, Vijender defeated China's Zulpikar Maimaitiali, who was a southpaw.

"The last fight was against a southpaw boxer and went for 10 rounds but he (Amuzu) is not a southpaw so it might give me little advantage. For a southpaw the technique is different but for regular boxer if trained regularly," Vijender said.

"We saw less southpaw boxers in India as well as in UK. He is orthodox so he wont harm me much,"

"When I was Amateur , I almost played with every boxer. So we know what they are thinking and what is their stance. But ya, I saw his fight on youtube and send those link to my coach. So we have all the information of him regarding his strength and weekness. But at the last it was about boxing," he added.

Amuzu on his part, is quietly confident asserting that he will defeat Vijender within the first 3-4 rounds.

When asked for his reaction to that statement, the Haryana boxer said," People usually talk before the fight and I have see that a lot in pro boxing. You never know the first three-four rounds might get tough for him also. Ya, I will try for another knockout," he said.

(Gaurav Sharma can be contacted at gaurav. sharma@ians.in)

--IANS

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