New Delhi [India], Nov.30 : Former world champion Francis Cheka is stepping up his training ahead of the big title defence bout against Indian boxing sensation Vijender Singh at the WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight Championship on December 17.
To defeat the Indian defending champion, Cheka is leaving no stone unturned and has been putting on a gruelling training session that goes up to 40 rounds per day.
34-year-old Cheka is a No.1 Tanzanian professional boxer and the current Intercontinental Super Middleweight Champion.
Cheka has also won the African title and taken world title challengers such as Matthew Macklin and Paul Smith the distance.
He is also a proven puncher with no fewer than 17 of his victories coming by knockout, out of the 43 bouts he has fought.
Commenting on his training, Cheka said, "Jay has put me on some crazy training regime. It is increasing my strength and power day by day. Sure Vijender must have won all his professional bouts but let's not forget, I have played 300 rounds and knocked down 17 of my opponents.
Singh has no idea what he is going to face on the 17th of December." "I am going to bring him down, like nobody's business; I don't think he thought before accepting my challenge.
He has fought absolutely nobody up to now, I will show him what professional boxing means, I will hit him hard on his face that he will never think of professional boxing again," he added.
Jay Msangi, trainer of the Tanzanian boxer said, " I am making Cheka do some grilling training these days, even though he is way more experienced than Vijender, he needs to be prepared for anything that is thrown at him, it's a matter of winning the title after all." Cheka is Vijender's most experienced opponent to date and will prove a stern test for the big-hitting Indian boxer.
Vijender currently has a record of seven out of seven wins with 6 knockouts. Undefeated Vijender claimed his first WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight title at the Thyagaraj Stadium in July this year against Australian Kerry Hope.
The Indian knockout merchant is now looking to defend his title in front of home crowd by knocking out Cheka in the early rounds.
Source: ANI
