WBO Asia Pacific title: Vijender Singh vs Francis Cheka - As it happened...

Before this fight, Francis Cheka had played total 8 matches outside Tanzania and have lost all the 8.

New Delhi: In a much-awaited fight , Francis Cheka was up against Vijender Singh. Termed as 'Night of Champions', the bout didn't last long as Vijender knocked out his opponent inside three rounds to defend WBO Asia Pacific super middle weight title.

Round 3:

10: 02 pm - And that's it! Vijender defends the title in style!

10: 01 pm - Compared to the first two rounds, Vijender is showing a lot more aggression. He did trouble and shock with few mighty blows in no time!

10: 00 pm - Cheka making some attacking moves.

---

Round 2:

09: 58 pm - Vijender hit a might big right on Cheka, who would have been totally shaken by that blow!

09: 57 pm - Both the boxers have already exchanged few blows in this round. 

09: 56 pm - While Vijender is extra careful, Cheka has opened the guard and has been inviting the Indian to have a go at him.

---

Round 1:

09: 55 pm - End of round one. Both the boxers are undoubtedly saving their energey for the rounds to come. In round 1, Cheka was frequently looking to hit Vijender with his left punch, but the Indian boxer was very alert! 

09: 54 pm - The crowd is chanting Vijender's name. The Indian boxer has adopted a more cautious approach.

09: 53 pm - Cheka has been showing more aggression. Vijender looks more in a defensive mood.

---

09: 52 pm - 10 rounds will be played between the two.

09: 49 pm - The national anthems of both the teams have been played!

09: 44 pm - The crowd goes berserk as Vijender enters the ring.

09: 40 pm - Cheka has already entered the ring.

09: 35 pm - The stage is all set. From Sushil Kumar, to Mary Kom, the stadium is jam-packed with excited fans and celebrities.

The Indian pugilist has an outstanding record in professional boxing as he is still undefeated in all his seven matches.

Vijender, who defeated Australian Kerry Hope in a grueling 10-round contest in front of his home crowd at Thyagraj Stadium to take his first professional title in July, has not faced much of a challenge in the seven pro bouts he has fought so far.

It will be interesting to see how Vijender is going to deal with a heavily experienced fighter as the Tanzanian, reigning World Boxing Federation (WBF) Super Middleweight champion, is a veteran at the professional level, having won 32 of his 43 bouts. Seventeen of those wins have come by knockouts.

Here is everything you need to know in this match:

What's on stake in this fight:

Indian Boxer Vijender Singh will definitely look forward to carry on with his seven match undefeated streak and also defend his WBO Asia-Pacific super middle weight title. On the other hand the Tanzanian boxer will look to dethrone Vijender from his title fought as many as 43 fights before and will be the most experienced opponent Vijenrder has ever faced.

The winner will be awarded with the title of WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight Champion.

How Cheka qualified for Asia-Pacific super middle weight fight:

That one question is on every Indian fan that how does he qualify ? The answer is simple as World Boxing Organisation (WBO) allows boxers from other continents to challenge the title holder of other countries.

Who will gain what from result:

The good news is that even if Cheka did beat Vijender in fight he would not be given the title but instead the title will go vacant once again instead of going to Cheka as he is just eligible to dethrone him at max.

How good is Francis Cheka:

The Tanzanian, reigning World Boxing Federation (WBF) Super Middleweight champion, is a veteran at the professional level, having won 32 of his 43 bouts. Seventeen of those wins have come by knockout. The 34-year-old is also the current African champion in the International Boxing Federation (IBF) Super Middleweight division.

Does Vijender stand a chance ?

Well, looking at the records of home favouite Vijender we can say that yes he has a bright chance to beat the African champ. Vijender who has almost 15 years of amateur boxing experience and has done so well in his professional boxing by winning all his seven matches, the stats make him a strong contender for the fight.

What stats suggests:

Although Francis Cheka did look strong on paper with that much experience but there's one more stat that will give some more hope to Indian fans as Cheka has never won a fight outside Tanzania. he has played total 8 matches outside his native country and have lost all the 8.

When and Where to watch this fight:

The best place to watch the fight is obviously in the Thyagaraja Sports Complex in Delhi. To those who don't have enough time to go the complex they can also enjoy the match at their home and also in their office.

Following is the schedule for the 'big-match'

Date: Saturday, July 16

Venue: Thyagaraj Stadium

Time: 7 p.m. IST, 2.30 p.m. BST, 11.30 p.m. AEDT.

TV listings: India: Star Sports Network. UK: Box Nation.