5 talking points from Vijender Singh's first two professional fights

Vijender will be looking to strike a similar pose after his third fightFrom a small village near the nucleus of boxing in India to Olympic glory, Vijender Singh has indeed traversed an intriguing path. Spurred by his family’s penury and his elder brother Manoj to enter the sport, Vijender even ventured into modelling to support his boxing dream.A dream that has been realised, and how!! Punching his way to an Olympic and World Championships bronze, Vijender became the number one-ranked Middleweight (75 Kg) in AIBA’s rankings in 2009. The Deputy Superintendent of the Haryana police was awarded the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and the Padma Shri for scaling the heights that he did.But amateur success wasn’t enough for the ‘Hurricane from Haryana’ as he announced that he would wade into the professional world. Vijender survived a few attempts to throw a spanner in the works of his pro aspirations and announced himself with two thumping wins.As he gears up to face his most experienced and supposedly, toughest opponent in Bulgarian Samet Hyuseinov, we take a look at what made his first two fights special

#1 Vijender is the most prominent Indian boxer to turn pro

From amateur to professional, his hand’s been raised

Vijender Singh is certainly not the first Indian boxer to attempt to realise his professional boxing dreams. But he is by far, the biggest name to take that step. A handful of pugilists like Neeraj Goyat, Balbir Singh and Gulbagh Singh have been toiling away in obscurity, harboring hope's flickering light that their names too will headline a world championship bout.

Vijender is exemplary in his attempt to give back to the sport he loves, a sign of a grounded character behind the media star. He believes that Indian boxers can make it big in the professional world, and has even spoken to Union Minister for Sports & Youth Affairs, Sarbhananda Sonowal, to broaden the horizon for aspiring pugilists.

#2 Vijender has finished both his opponents

Vijender’s TKO of Dean Gillen

On paper, two fights with two finishes might not seem extremely impressive, given that they were both four-rounders. But watching the fights will most certainly change that opinion. Amateur boxing is a world away from its professional counterpart. While the former dictates a slower pace, with emphasis on defense and scoring points, the latter demands aggression and showmanship.

By finishing both his foes, Vijender has shown that he didn’t need any time to find his sea legs. From needing a little over two-and-a-half rounds to dispatch Sonny Whiting in his debut, Vijender made quick work of firefighter Dean Gillen in his sophomore appearance, TKO’ing him in the dying moments of the first round.

Here’s a video of the second TKO:

#3 Vijender\'s defense was much-improved in his second fight

Vijender’s defense was impregnable in the 2^nd fight

First-time jitters are to be expected, regardless of the stage. Add a 6-footer who wants to knock your block off and the picture may get a little clearer. Vijender seemed a little too eager in his debut and wound up being tagged a few times by Sonny Whiting. But all’s well that ends well in a TKO.

Dean Gillen was too quick to point that out leading up to the second fight, something he would regret heavily. Vijender stitched up the holes in his game as he danced in and out of the Nottinghamshireman, landing surgical blows before wrapping things up in a single round. Indeed, it was Gillen’s defense that looked the more porous.

#4 Massive viewership

Vijender is one of India’s most beloved sportsters

Since his announcing in August this year that he would turn pro, Vijender’s first fight was awaited with the lip-smacking anticipation of an India-Pakistan CWC Final. And the numbers certainly validated the claim, as there were an estimated television audience of 20 million people in India alone, excluding elsewhere in the world.

Here’s a video of the finish in Vijender’s debut:

#5 Overwhelming support

Bollywood threw its weight behind Vijender

Despite being 7,603 kms away, India was with Vijender in spirit. Everyone from politicians and actors to cricketers and journalists joined the chorus in enouragement before he stepped into a professional boxing ring for the first time.

Given the steam he’s building, it seems like the chorus will grow only louder as he squares off against the experienced Bulgarian and looks to make it a hat-trick of wins.

Here are just one of the many tweets wishing Vijender well:

all d best @boxervijender for ur first pro fight tmrw . wl watch n cheer .

— Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan) October 9, 2015