Vijender Singh celebrated Christmas and New Year early by knocking out Francis Cheka of Tanzania and defending his first professional title, the WBO Asia Pacific super middleweight crown, in style on December 17.
THANKS TO THE rhetoric-laden onslaught by Cheka, a former World and Inter-continental champion with a record of 32 wins in 43 bouts, in the build-up to the fight followed by Vijender’s antics inside the ring, this contest has to be the most dramatic one for the Indian boxer in his short eight-bout professional career. In sharp contrast to his aggressive posturing prior to the bout, Cheka appeared too cautious and faint-hearted inside the ring. Delivering a jaw-clattering right in the second round and then crossing his legs and locking his hands behind, a smiling Vijender gave indications of ending his title defence early. Moving with the finesse of a dancer, the Indian unleashed a few more punches on Cheka in the third before the referee stopped the contest within nine minutes of the round.
“I was thrashing him for fun. I could have hammered him in the second round after that right to the chin, but I wanted to have revenge for all that he had said about me before the fight. He had called me a kid but I showed him the reality with my boxing,” said Vijender, showing he has now learned how to speak apart from delivering punches.
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