British businessman Bill Dosanjh – who is the owner of the Super Fight League – has decided to launch the Super Boxing League (SBL) in the country with Khan as its co-promoter
Vijender Singh vs Amir Khan: that's one fight every boxing fan in India has been waiting ever since the former turned professional. The chances of that big-ticket battle have got a big boost in the arm with India all set to get a boxing league of its own.
British businessman Bill Dosanjh – who is the owner of the Super Fight League – has decided to launch the Super Boxing League (SBL) in the country with Khan as its co-promoter.
The league will be recognised by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) Pro Boxing, and will thus have all professional boxers, men as well as women, that are part of AIBA Pro Boxing in its roaster.
Vijender and Khan, the British boxer who has his roots in Pakistan, have not been able to fight in the world pro boxing circuit so far due to their different weight categories. Khan boxes in middleweight (72.5kg) category while Vijender in the super middleweight (76kg). So, either Khan will have to gain weight or Vijender lose some kilos for the mouth-watering duel to take place.
In fact, Khan had challenged Vijender for a fight last April, which the Indian accepted and asked for one year's time to come up to Khan's weight category.
That time might just be in the SBL, which will take place from July 7 to August 12 this year with a total of eight franchises spread across the country.
"If ever there is going to be a fight between Vijender and Amir, it will be in the Super Boxing League," Dosanjh said on Sunday.
What makes the possibility of the fight turning into reality in SBL is Khan also being the co-promoter of the league. And, what better than a Vijender Singh-Amir Khan boxing bout to attract eyeballs in this latest league sprouting in India.
The question would be how soon the promoters of SBL can make this fight happen, and whether boxing fans in the country will have to wait a couple of months or a couple of years more for their weight categories to match and the fight to take place.
Meanwhile, the SBL will be launched next month, and will add a new format to pro boxing.
There will be a total of six fights on every fight night, with five male and one female boxer from each franchise going head to head in different weight categories. The bouts will comprise four rounds of three minutes each, significantly shortening the time span of the fight. Every bout will carry points system, and a boxer can claim a maximum of six points through a knockout.
Dosanjh said the first season will have eight franchises, most of whom own teams in the Super Fight League.
"A lot of them are already owners in the Super Fight League, but we also have a few big corporates interested in this. Boxing is huge in India, and it's one sport that has traditionally done well in the Olympics. This league can thus touch the popularity that leagues in cricket in kabaddi have," Dosanjh said.
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