Vijender Singh makes an emphatic statement in his boxing pro debut

Defeats Sonny Whiting via technical Knock Out in the third round

With blaring Punjabi music announcing his entry into the arena, Indian pro boxer Vijender Singh silenced Manchester by defeating local favourite, Sonny Whiting, who had earlier said he’d teach a brutal lesson to India.  He used his long reach to full advantage against his 26-year-old rival and once he measured his opponent, he started attacking more, with trademark hooks and uppercuts. Whiting, though he showed promise initially, lost the momentum. The Indian grew in confidence in the third round against the erratic Whiting, whose attacking strategy went haywire with every passing second. “I really worked hard for this but have a long way to go,” Vijender said.

The first round saw neither fighter taking too many risks, but by the end of it, it was clear that Singh was the more technical one in the ring, as most of Whiting’s swings missed their target, while Singh persevered to find his range against the 26-year-old boxer.

By the second round the Olympic medalist had established his jab and managed to successfully maintain the pressure on Whiting by constantly pushing the pace of the fight. Whiting spent most of the match on his back-foot. The third round saw the 29 year old dictating terms and controlling the tempo of the bout. Whiting threw some overhead punches, but Vijender’s skill in defending against those ensured that he wasn’t really in any danger.