Neeraj Goyat set for professional boxing return against Jose Zepeda
Mar 16, 2023
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 16 : Neeraj Goyat returns to professional boxing against Jose Zepeda on March 25 in Guadalajara, Mexico.
A fighting purse of $120 thousand (the equivalent of over INR 1 crore) is up for grabs at this event. The event is promoted by one of the biggest professional boxing promoters, Golden Boy Promotions.
"From the start, my attempt has always been to raise the level of Indian professional boxing and to stamp its authority on the world stage and that Indian boxers are recognized as formidable boxers. Even when I first beat WBA World Champion Xu Can in China, the aim was to raise the level for Indian boxers and let them know that these wins are possible. I hope to inspire and pave the way for the future of professional boxers in India to fight at this level and get opportunities since no one else in the history of our country has fought with the names I have." said Neeraj Goyat regarding the announcement of the event in a press release.
The 3 times WBC Asia title winner, Neeraj Goyat turned professional in 2013 and since then has fought 22 bouts with a record of 17-3 with 7 knockouts (17-3-2 draws). He is the first Indian boxer to have made it to the WBC world rankings and has won the 'Honorary Boxer of the Year' by WBC Asia in 2017.
"I am the only boxer from India who has fought 5-6 Mexican boxers as they are considered the most brutal in the world. It is also a learning opportunity and Jose's record speaks for himself, he has been the WBC World Champion in the past. The fight is being organized by Golden Boy which is the world's second-largest professional boxing promoter and I am looking forward to taking Jose down." Neeraj signed off.
His opponent, Jose Zepeda is one of the stalwarts in the world of professional boxing with a total of 35 wins from his 40 fights, 27 of them being knockouts. Mexican boxers are regarded as one of the best competitors and extremely tough to beat in the world of professional boxing.
The last couple of years have not been easy for Neeraj as one of the biggest fights of his career had to be called off in 2019 against Amir Khan, a former world champion due to an accident. He last fought in Bangkok against Rachata Khaophimai and won it via a knockout and is ready to face off against Jose Zepeda on the March 25 and be the first professional boxer from India to win the bout.
