Vijender Singh knocks out Sonny Whiting in debut
Indian pugilist Vijender Singh had the perfect beginning to his professional career as he knocked out Britain’s Sonny Whiting via a technical knockout at the Manchester Arena in his debut on Saturday.
The bout lived up to the hype and Whiting’s pre-match comments about how badly he was going to hurt Vijender fell flat as a flurry of punches, combined with jabs and uppercuts smacked the Briton and the referee had to step in to stop the contest.
The 29-year-old Indian walked out to a mixed reaction with Punjabi music glaring in the background. As the bout got underway, both men were seen exchanging soft blows. However, Vijender held his guard and repeatedly pushed Whiting in the corner.
Soon, a flurry of punches targetted at Whiting’s body caught the Briton off-guard. The first round was even-sided when the bell rang. The second soon began with Vijender once again taking Whiting to the corner. He showed great speed and reflex to avoid swift punches from his opponent. The 29-year-old used his long reach to full advantage against his 26-year-old rival, who is himself merely four-bouts old in the pro circuit.
The Indian clearly dominated the second round and looked in much better shape than his British counterpart. Him and Whiting both exchanged a few hard blows early in round three before the Indian unleashed a string of jabs. About ten seconds later, Vijender found Whiting’s face about six times on the trot. The referee was forced to intervene since a groggy-looking Whiting was unable to continue, handing Vijender his maiden pro victory.
“Thanks to all my fans. My next fight will be Oct 30 in Harrow, enjoy it. It’s new for me but I’ve been working hard. It’s going well, I want to win! That’s just the beginning,” Vijender said after a resounding start to his pro career.
“I am very happy for this win. It’s just a beginning as I have to go a long way. I will work more hard and have to be Professional champion one day,” he added. “I never got nervous during the bout. My punches have replied to Sonny Whiting in the ring. Its new for me but I have been working hard. Its going well. I want to win, win and win.”
