Vijender Singh bloodied, bruised; decision keeps reputation intact

China’s Zulipikaer Maimaitiali will regret that he left it to the judges to call a fight, which provided a harsh reality check to Vijender’s progress as a professional boxer.

The scores from the three judges read, 96-93, 95-94, 95-94 in favour of Vijender but given the dominating display by Zulipikaer, especially in the closing rounds, the decision will raise eyebrows. Vijender remained undefeated at the NSCI Stadium in Mumbai, courtesy the unanimous decision of the judges, but those genuine boxing aficionados who witnessed the fight would have gone away with a bad taste in the mouth.

Vijender in his post-fight comments used the occasion to call for an end of the India-China border stand-off. “I want to give back this belt to Zulipikaer. I hope for peace in the border and the message is about peace. That is most important,” Vijender said.

Yet for most part of the night, Vijender never looked like he was challenging for Zulipikaer’s WBO Oriental Super Middleweight belt. “I didn’t expect the fight to be that good,” Vijender said after the match, nose patched up and a blackened left eye socket. “Aaj kaafi khoon baha.” Technically, Maimaitiali was rated a one dimensional fighter, capable of boxing in “only one gear.” Yet on the night Vijender played his third bout on home soil, he faced a 23-year-old who bided his time and was prepared to be patient. The aggressive Chinese pugilist was working hard on his defence, cautiously measuring up Vijender’s arm-length jab. He often lunged in for a swift hook hoping to breach Vijender’s defence.

All night Maimaitiali had aimed for Vijender’s midriff, and the tactic had worked effectively. The 2008 bronze medallist at the Beijing Olympics is by now a veteran of protecting his face. Yet there was no answer to the Chinese boxer’s punches to the stomach. Maimaitiali was dictating play although Vijender, to his credit did manage a few clever and sharp blows to the face. “He’s a tough kid with a strong chin,” says Vijender’s coach Lee Beard. “Vijender landed some clean punches in the first six rounds, but the kid didn’t give up.”

Points docked

In the sixth round, Maimaitiali’s focus on attacking Vijender’s mid-rift had him inadvertently land a low blow. “It wasn’t good, and it disturbed me,” says Vijender, who fell to the floor on that occasion.

The incident resulted in Maimaitiali being given a warning that effectively cost him three points, one from each judge. But from this point on the Chinese was clearly the superior boxer. His punches connected more often than earlier even as Vijender began to tire.

Bloodied and visibly tired, the Bhiwani lad was a shadow of himself. At the final bell, Maimaitiali was still dancing on his feet, hands raised in victory. Vijender instead staggered to his corner. He still managed to raise his arm in celebration, albeit after much prodding from his staff. Vijender now has two titles, including the WBO Oriental title Maimaitiali brought into the match. It was a decision that Maimaitiali sportingly accepted with a smile and a bow to the crowds. But his father, who has been his lifelong manager, was visibly upset with. The fight was a contrast to what was predicted. “Knockout in the early rounds, this is not the toughest opponent faced” is what Vijender and Beard had asserted before the match. The tone changed after the match.

“This was the toughest fight for Vijender,” concluded Neerav Tomar, Vijender’s promoter.

Akhil, Jitender begin pro innings with TKOs 

Beijing Olympic quarter-finalist Akhil Kumar made a perfect start to his professional career with a technical knock-out of Australia’s Ty Gilchrist in the junior welterweight category. It was a night to remember for the ‘Class of 2008’ as another Beijing quarter-finalist Jitender Kumar also marked his debut with a technical knock-out of Thanet Likhitkamporn in the lightweight category.

with inputs from PTI