Unbeaten Vijender Singh confident of knocking out Artysh Lopsan after returning from break

It’s been well over a year since Indian boxing sensation Vijender Singh last stepped a foot inside the ring. The wait is set to end now as he gears up to square off against Russia’s Artysh Lopsan’s on 19th March. The super-middleweight (76kg) bout will take place on the rooftop deck of the Majestic Pride Casino Ship in Goa. The Indian boxer’s opponent was revealed at a press conference organised by his sponsors – IOS Boxing Promotions - in the national capital. Both the boxers were present at the event and shared their thoughts ahead of the bout. Vijender, who has an unbeaten 12-0 record in professional boxing (including eight knockouts), termed Lopsan as a good fighter but said that he was aiming to finish the bout in early rounds. Speaking to reporters, the former Worlds and Olympic bronze medallist said, " It’s going to be a good fight. I was eagerly waiting for more than a year. I watched Lopsan’s videos and he’s a good fighter.” “But I’m ready to knock him out like I did to my previous eight opponents. I am ready to finish the fight in early rounds and it would be a spectacle to do it in front of my people in Goa,” he added. The 35-year-old’s last bout was against Ghana’s Charles Adamu, the former Commonwealth champion, in November 2019. Yes, his victory march was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic but in the meantime, Vijender said he trained alongside boxers from Jhajjar, Faridabad and Bhiwani, with former Commonwealth bronze-medallist Jai Bhagwan as his trainer. “It has been 15 months since I last fought. But I started my training around the first week of January. I started training with Jai (Bhagwaan), my coach and my best friend. I did sparring with boxers from Jhajjar, Faridabad and Bhiwani.” The 6ft 3inch Lopson, meanwhile, stated that he was eager to end Vijender’s hot streak in front of his home crowd. In six bouts, the 26-year-old Russian has won four bouts, two of which have come via knockouts, while registering one defeat and one draw. “Vijender is a good fighter but I’m here to end his unbeaten streak. I’m ready and it’s going to be a great fight in Goa. My coach and I have studied Vijender carefully. What better way to end his streak than knocking him down in front of his audience? I’ve trained hard for this fight and I’m raring to go.” This will be the fifth bout on home soil for Vijender who is the reigning WBO Oriental Super Middleweight and WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight champion.