Buoyed by a knockout start to his professional career, Indian boxer Vijender Singh will be up against Dean Gillen in his second bout in Dublin on Saturday in front of an audience which will not just have boxing aficionados but also Hollywood executives exploring his potential as a movie star.
Vijender, who notched up a Technical Knockout against Sonny Whiting in his debut fight last month, will take on British boxer Gillen, a part-time fire-fighter, in a four-round contest.
The 30-year-old from Haryana is no stranger to the movie world having already starred in the Bollywood film ‘Fugly’ and has also appeared on the reality TV show MTV Hero Roadies X2.
“I’m very excited by Vijender and his potential and we’re looking forward to seeing him up close on Saturday night and taking it from there. I’ve only seen his first fight and being a boxing fan, that was something special and some of my close associates also mentioned it,” the executive, who preferred anonymity for the time being, was quoted as saying in a statement issued by Vijender’s promoters IOS.
“He’s got a special commanding presence and aura about him in the ring, likes he’s the king of the ring, and I think that it could transfer onto screen, who knows, we just want to see him on Saturday first and we’re hoping for another exciting performance,” he added.
Vijender arrived in Dubli on Thursday with his Indian promoter Neerav Tomar and trainer Lee Beard.
“I’m getting a really good buzz being in Dublin and the city has really taken me in, I can’t wait for Saturday night and give the fans a good night of action,” said Vijender.
“I’ve been over once before after the 2012 London Olympics and trained with the Irish amateur boxing team and I had a brilliant time then, so it’s fantastic to finally return to actually fight here for the first time and show what I can do.
Talking about his next opponent, Vijender said: “I’ll see what Gillen brings to the ring against me. He’s another challenge so he’ll make me raise my game and perform. I’ve been in the gym perfecting and improving and I’ll be looking to put on something a little bit special for the Irish fans.”
