Pune: Mumbai Fighters made an impressive debut in the World Series Boxing, though they finished on the losing side in their opening Group A encounter against Italy's Milano Thunder, losing 2-3 at the Shiv Chatrapati Balewadi Sports Complex on Friday.
The lone Indian franchise in the AIBA-promoted pro-league came back twice to draw level with the Italian franchise, before 2008 Olympic silver medalist Clemente Rousso of Italy out-punched his Indian heavy-weight rival Krishan Kumar to earn a unanimous verdict in the deciding fifth bout.
Mumbai Fighters commenced their engagement in the 12-team league on a poor note when Balbir Singh, the 2002 World Cadet champion, was outclassed by his rival Vitaly Volkov of Ukraine. Volkov, ranked No. 11 in WSB, was comfortably ahead on all three judges' cards to earn a 3-0 verdict in the bantam-weight fight.
Diwakar Prasad, the three-time senior national champion, then fought in a very impressive fashion to earn a 2-1 verdict against Argentinian Juan Javier Herrera, a bronze winner in the last South American Games, in the light-weight contest, to bring Mumbai Fighters on an even keel for a 1-1 scoreline.
Ukrainian world championship bronze winner Sergiy Derevyanchenko was up next, and he simply overwhelmed Delhi Commonwealth Games gold medalist Patrick Gallagher of Ireland, wearing Mumbai Fighters colours, with a unanimous 3-0 verdict in the middle-weight bout.
It was left to a brave Jasveer Singh, bronze medal winner in the President's Cup in Jakarta and in the China Cup earlier this year, to put up a superb display of attacking boxing against taller southpaw Nikolajs Grisunins of Latvia to earn a 3-0 verdict.
Jasveer took a standing eight-count in the middle of the bout and his opponent was docked a penalty point for hitting a low blow. Jasveer trailed his rival initially before coming out on an all-out attack with a flurry of punches to his opponent's body and head for an emphatic verdict in the light-heavy fight that brought Mumbai Fighters on level terms with Milano Thunder at 2-2.
But any hopes entertained by the Indian franchise of a victorious debut were dashed by the world No. 1 heavy-weight Rousso, who simply tore apart his Indian rival Krishan Kumar, the 2007 National Games winner and 2010 silver medalist.
The contest, thus, ended 3-2 in the Italian franchise's favour.
Mumbai Fighters now travel overseas to fight against Dynamo Moscow on November 18.
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