New Delhi: Nishant Dev, a bronze medalist at the 2023 World Championships and a participant in the Paris Olympics has made the decision to transition to professional boxing. The 24-year-old has entered into a contract with promoter Matchroom Boxing and is set to make his debut at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas on January 25, where he will appear on the undercard of the super middleweight match between Steve Nelson and Diego Pacheco.

Dev, who narrowly lost his quarter-final match in the 71kg category to the seasoned Marco Alonso Verde Alvarez from Mexico at the Paris Olympics, expressed on Instagram: “My ambition is to become India’s first world professional boxing champion, and I am aware that I have the support of an entire nation to help me realize this dream.”

“I cherished my experience as an amateur boxer, competing at the highest levels, including the Olympics and earning a World Championship medal. However, I am now prepared to embark on this new phase of my career. The path to the World Championship commences in Las Vegas on January 25th!”

The two-time national champion is currently training under the guidance of former professional boxer Ronald Simms in Las Vegas. The identity of Dev’s opponent for his inaugural professional match has yet to be revealed.

While the entry of Indian boxers into the professional arena is not unprecedented, it is somewhat unexpected that Dev, who has not yet secured a major title, has chosen this path. Notable figures such as Olympic bronze medalist Vijender Singh, Mandeep Jangra, and Neeraj Goyat have previously taken similar steps.

Vijender achieved a record of 13 wins and 1 loss against lesser-known opponents and last competed approximately two and a half years ago. Jangra captured the World Boxing Federation’s super featherweight world title last November and holds an 11-1 professional record, having also won a silver medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Goyat, the most seasoned Indian boxer in the professional circuit with 25 fights, boasts a record of 19 wins, 4 losses, and 2 draws. His most recent victory was a unanimous decision against Whindersson Nunes in November. Vikas Krishan, a three-time Olympian, has participated in three professional bouts, having turned professional before returning to the amateur scene prior to the 2012 London Games. Unlike Dev, all these prominent Indian boxers have established their reputations in the sport.

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