PANAJI: India’s unbeaten boxing superstar Vijender Singh’s much-awaited return to the ring will be against Russian boxer Artysh Lopsan, promoters IOS Boxing Promotions announced today during a press conference at DLF Avenue, Saket-New Delhi. DLF Avenue was the venue partner for the event.
The first-of-its-kind fight in India will be held on the rooftop deck of the Majestic Pride Casino Ship in Goa on March 19. Artysh Lopsan, 26, has a decent record in his young career as a professional boxer. In six bouts, the Russian has defeated four, including two knockouts, while registering one defeat and one draw.
Indian star Vijender, on the other hand, is unbeaten throughout his professional boxing career, carrying a record of 12-0 that includes eight knockouts. The Olympic bronze medallist defeated Ghana’s former Commonwealth Champion Charles Adamu in Dubai to claim his 12th successive win in November 2019.
Vijender headlines the main event for the night while fans will also witness six other undercard fights bearing 12 top Indian fighters. The show will be held for three hours. Speaking to the reporters, Vijender seemed confident about the fight and expects a tough one against his Russian counterpart. He said, “It’s going to be a good fight. I was eagerly waiting for this 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 8 previous opponents. I am ready to finish the fight in the early rounds and it would be a spectacle to do it in front of my people in Goa,” he concluded.
On the other hand, Lopsan also looks assured to end Vijender’s unbeaten streak, “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. 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 rearing to go”, he said.
Neerav Tomar, promoter, IOS Boxing Promotions, said, “It is going to be a big fight in Goa. Vijender has the experience and unbeaten streak while Lopsan also has a good record under his belt. I’m expecting a really good fight between the two and fans will be able to witness something incredible.”
Muckth Dograa, Centre Head, DLF Avenue, said,”‘DLF Avenue is delighted to be the venue partner for hosting the iconic boxer Vijendra Singh, who is set to return to the boxing ring on 19th March against Russian boxer Artysh Lopsan. DLF Avenue’s commitment lies in providing unparalled cultural experiences that are tailor-made to suit our target audience and bring about a lifestyle change for the people of Delhi. DLF Avenue is arguably Delhi’s most fashionably curated destination, where the city comes together to experience great shopping, dining, and one of its kind events, all with a sense of community and timeless culture.”
The fight night begins with a bantamweight bout between Mohammed Shamim and Pralhad Panda, followed by Mathiyalagan Dhiravidamani versus Umesh Chavan in the super flyweight division. The third fight features Ramandeep Kaur against Rinky Inder Kishore in light flyweight category and the fourth fight is between Ashish Ahlawat and Dharmender Grewal (cruiserweight).
Sabari J is pitted against Amey Nitin in the lightweight category bout while Mahesh Digari will be up against Kuldeep Dhanda in super lightweight category. Seasoned Indian boxer Neeraj Goyat versus Sandeep Kumar (Super Welterweight) will be the co-main event for the night followed by Vijender’s much-awaited return to the ring.
The bout goes beyond the traditional norms of a regular professional match and offers viewers the glitz and glamour of Vegas-style boxing event.
The fight will be shown live on BookMyShow.Com who are also the OTT partner for the event. Sony Network will telecast the show in the following week. It will also be for the first time in India that a fight sport superstar like Vijender will headline the OTT platforms on a pay per view and fans in India can witness the Las Vegas style boxing on rooftop of the Majestic Pride Casino Ship at just Rs 99.
Following social distancing guidelines, the promoters have decided to fill just 50 percent of the tickets at the venue and only a limited 150 high-end tickets are available on sale. The tickets have been priced from Rs 10, 000 to Rs 20, 000 in different categories. They range from Gold Rs10,000, Platinum Rs 15,000, and Stage Rs 20,000.
The fight will be presented by Vimal and powered by Betway (Sports News Portal. JK Lakshmi Cement have been roped in as the heavy duty partners while Pokerbaazi are the associate partners, AirAsia are the airline partners and Lakshya Group are the outdoor partners.
