No opponent coming through, Vijender's next bout postponed

Image
Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Mar 20 2017 | 6:28 PM IST
Indian boxing star Vijender Singh's next bout scheduled on April 1 has been postponed as his promoters are struggling to find an opponent for him.
"Right now we are not able to find a decent opponent for him because of his unbeaten record. Boxers in the region seem to be wary of facing him. He has become this dreaded guy, who nobody wants to face," Vijender's promoters IOS Boxing Promotions MD Neerav Tomar told PTI.
"The fight stands postponed for the time being and we are looking at dates in the last week of May after the IPL. I am hopeful that we will be able to finalise an opponent soon enough," he added.
Vijender is unbeaten after eight bouts and is the reigning WBO Asia Pacific champion.
In the April 1 fight night, the 31-year-old was originally scheduled to take on China's WBO Oriental champion Zulpikar Maimaitiali. But that could not materialise after Maimaitiali backed out of the contest without specifying any reasons.
"Maimaitiali pulled out and it is just not working out at the moment with anybody else," Tomar said.
The Vijender-Zulpikar super middleweight contest was to be a double Asian title fight. The Indian's WBO Asia-Pacific belt and the Chinese boxer's WBO Oriental title were to be on the line in a winner-takes-all bout.
Vijender is unbeaten in the circuit, having successfully defended his title in December last year against Tanzania's Francis Cheka.
The April 1 fight night was also supposed to mark the professional debut of Olympians -- Akhil Kumar and Jitender Kumar.
Tomar said the venue of the bout will continue to be Mumbai.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Mar 20 2017 | 6:28 PM IST

Next Story