Vijender Singh vs Ernest Amuzu: Why the bout was a real mismatch from the start

Vijender Singh picked up his tenth consecutive win since turning professional as he outclassed Ghanaian boxer Ernest Amuzu on Saturday, recording a win by unanimous decision. The match, which was christened as the 'Rajasthan Rumble', saw the Indian come up trumps in the easiest of manners at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium in Jaipur.

Amuzu, who had never been knocked out over his career, was on the verge of one towards the end of the bout and managed to avoid the humiliation by scraping through the 10 rounds. Despite being touted as an 'African Champion' with a formidable record of 23 wins and two losses, he started as the underdog and the gulf in class was visible over the course of the fight.

According to boxrec.com, which complies professional boxing data and ranks boxers across the world from different organizations such as the IBF, WBC, WBO etc. and is titled as boxing's official record keeper, there is an incredible gap between the two fighters.

The extent of it is startling, which makes the fight seem a complete mismatch. The 34-year-old African, despite his appealing win-loss record, is ranked a lowly 256 in the world in the super middleweight category. In comparison, the Indian is ranked 49, with a gap of nearly 200 places between the two fighters.

Amuzu, who made his pro debut in 2010, is quite down below the charts in his own country as well. Among active boxers from Ghana, his is ranked 7th out of a total of 20 boxers. He does not feature in the Top 15 of the latest WBO rankings, while Vijender sits cosily in sixth place.

Another point that must be noted is that the match in Jaipur was just his second bout on foreign soil. His only other match abroad came in Germany last year, where he lost to Kavin Gebhard in a title match for the Global Boxing Council Light Heavyweight title.

Vijender may have won this fight comfortably, but fans would surely be wanting to see closer contests that challenge the Indian. It remains to be seen who he will fight next but here's hoping it someone who's ranked much higher and provides a real test for Vijender.