Now, I'm in my boxing zone. There's no politics here: Vijender Singh

Vijender Singh last entered the ring as a professional boxer in December 2017, winning his 10th straight pro bout in Jaipur and proudly exclaiming after it that was he ready to fight for the Commonwealth and World title in 2018.

A little over a year and a half since, the 33-year-old hasn't had a fight, let alone for any of those fancy titles.

Multiple factors were behind that, some under Vijender's control, some not quite. Lack of fights, change of promoters, injuries and an experimental, last-minute entry into politics – the ingredients of his absent dish were varied.

The wait has finally ended, however, as Vijender makes his US debut in Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday (early Sunday morning IST). The Indian will fight a more experienced pro boxer in American Mike Snider in an eight-round super middleweight contest at the Prudential Center.

"I'm finally here, man," Vijender tells DNA from Newark. "It has been a long wait. I was set for my US debut in April but it got postponed. Now I'm more excited that it's finally happening. It's a big day for me."

The no-show in April – unlike the whole of last year – was unforeseen, with Vijender injuring his eye during a sparring session while training in Los Angeles with legendary trainer Freddie Roach in the last week of March.

With some time in hand and no fights in sight, Vijender decided to try his luck at politics, accepting a Congress ticket to fight the Lok Sabha elections from South Delhi. India's only Olympic medal-winning male boxer not only lost the fight for the seat but also his deposit, with only 13.56 per cent of votes for him.

All along, Vijender maintained politics was just a fling, boxing his true love. He sticks to that even now, and lets out a smirk while speaking about his political plunge.

"People have shown me so much love over the years, I feel responsible for them. I was looking for an opportunity to serve them and give something back to the society. That's why I went there (politics).

"But now, I'm in my boxing zone. There's no politics here, only boxing," Vijender says.

Ask him what is tougher, hitting the streets to campaign during that sweltering Delhi heat or putting his body on the line in the boxing ring, Vijender doesn't pause to think for a second: "Boxing is what I'm doing for a long time. Boxing is in my blood, not politics."

But while this year so far has been akin to a flurry of punches, 2018 was an unintentional foul.

With only a couple of bouts in 2017, Vijender would've hoped for some more action after the turn of the calendar.

Instead, fights dried up, forcing him to change promoters. Vijender switched from UK-based Queensberry Promotions to the US-based Top Rank Promotions managed by the well-known Bob Arum.

The move came only late in November, an agonising pause of almost a year. But Vijender said unlike with a lot of cases in the world of professional boxing, he was always in the know of what was happening in the board rooms.

"Meetings take time, and I knew what was happening behind the scenes. Why a fight wasn't happening, why I had to change promoters, I was aware of everything. It wasn't like I was in the dark," Vijender says.

What kept him floating during those frustrating times was constant training, and rounds of meditation.

"Patience is a big word for me. My experience also helped me, and so did meditation. It makes you realise that things can take some time, but they will eventually happen," Vijender says, looking back at last year.

"Meditation also helps me focus a lot more. I was also training throughout the year, having constant sparring sessions. Not once did I stop my training routine," he adds.

Vijender has shifted his base again from Los Angeles to Manchester, training with his long-time trainer Lee Beard. It's like the return of the good ol' days that saw him rake up a 10-0 win-loss record since turning professional and putting a full stop on his Olympic journey in 2015.

Yet, this feels like a new chapter for him.

"I always believed that good things take time, and good things are here. This is a kind of a new entry for me, a debut in the US. It has been a long wait, but it's here now," Vijender says.