Neeraj Goyat was 12 and yet to consider boxing as a career option when Amir Khan won an Olympic silver medal in 2004 at Athens. Fast forward 15 years and Goyat is set to face the British-Pakistani two-time world champion at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
A war of words is inevitable between two boxers ahead of a boxing bout. Staying true to tradition, Amir fired the first salvo a day after Pakistan’s heavy defeat to India at the cricket World Cup.
Amir tweeted: “Pakistan lost to India today #ICCWorldCup2019 come July 12th I will avenge the loss and knock out Neeraj Goyat on our upcoming fight in #SaudiArabia (sic).”
Speaking to IANS , Goyat said Amir can keep dreaming. “Keep dreaming, you will be standing there to witness my victory,” he said.
READ | Boxer Amir Khan offers to help ‘unfit’ Pakistan cricketers
On paper, Amir, who turns 33 this year, is the overwhelming favourite. He held the light-welterweight WBA title from 2009 to 2012 and won the IBF title in 2011.
However, his recent attempt at winning the welterweight title ended in failure when he was stopped by USA’s Terence Crawford in the sixth round at New York’s Madison Square Garden in April.
Amir said he needs to be at his best against Goyat, citing the example of former unified world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua’s defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr. , which has been described as one of the greatest upsets ever in boxing history.
Goyat comes into the bout in good touch. In the same month that Amir lost to Crawford, Goyat beat Mexico’s Carlos Lopez Marmolejo at the Danforth Music Hall in Toronto. Of his 16 fights in the pro circuit, he's won 11,lost three and drawn two.
Goyat said he's going for a sparring partner with a similar style to Amir. “I am looking for someone who fights the way he does but apart from that there is not much difference (in preparations). I am going through the same routine that I would for any other 12-round bout,” he said.
Goyat admits that while getting a bout against a boxer of Amir’s stature was something he had dreamt of, he is not overwhelmed by the occasion.
“It is not necessary that he will be performing on the same level that he was when he was young. He has achieved a lot in his career but he is also ageing. I have fought with Olympians and world champions before so this isn’t exactly new to me. So yes, I am fighting a big name, but I am not overawed by it,” he said.
However, the value of getting a bout that will draw eyeballs, on both a domestic and international level, is not lost on Goyat. “It is good for both professional and amateur boxing in the country that bouts like these happen. It gives Indian boxing, especially pro boxing, more exposure on an international level. In the amateur circuit the likes of Mary Kom have raised India’s standing in the world, but we have not had that kind of success in the pro circuit. India used to be known as a country filled only with amateur boxers and not pros.
“That is not the case any more and getting big bouts like these will raise our name on the international stage. For example, Philippines as a country is so much smaller than India but it is known throughout the world because of Manny Pacquiao and because of that their pro boxers are getting good bouts with big prize money. So these sort of fights should keep happening not just for me but for other Indian pro boxers also,” he said.
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