Watching videos of Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson when he was 15 inspired Nishant Dev to become a pro boxer

“My uncle, who lived in Germany, told me the stories of professional boxing, and that’s when the dream began… I was 15 years old. It is a misconception that I turned pro because of that loss to Marco (Verde) in the Olympics. Yes, the loss was disheartening, and I was in a very bad place after that loss, but the decision to turn professional was a long-term one,” Nishant told The Indian Express.

Six months after the Olympics, Nishant signed with promotion company Matchroom Boxing. In January, he won his pro debut bout against Alton Wiggins. He trains with former American professional boxer Ronald Simms, whom he first met when he was just 15. Because Simms and Nishant go back a long way, it made life easier for him when he turned professional as a super welterweight.

“When I started fighting bouts regularly at the youth level, I met Ronald, my current trainer. He scouted me from the junior level for JSW. When I went to the Bellary center of JSW, I got to know that Ronald is a former professional boxer. This was the first time I was meeting a real professional boxer in my life. I told myself that I have to learn everything from this man. He treated me like a son. For five years from 2016 to 2021, I trained under him. Even after he left in 2021, I would talk to him about every bout and what strategy I should follow,” Nishant said.

 Nishant Dev was scouted from the junior level by his current trainer Ronald Simms for JSW Sports.

Obsessed with boxing

When he turned 15, Nishant started training with coach Surender Chauhan at the Karan Stadium in Karnal. “My father supported me. He would make sure that I train twice daily. He traveled with me to most of the tournaments,” Nishant said.

By then he was already influenced by the YouTube videos of boxing greats. “I would try to copy their moves while training. Sometimes I would try to copy the iconic ‘Ali Shuffle’ or I would try Manny’s moves as I am a southpaw like him,” Nishant said.

It was the 2015 fight between Mayweather Jr and Manny, billed as the ‘Battle for Greatness’, that left a big impression on Nishant. “The whole atmosphere and aura of that fight is what attracted me more,” Nishant said. He became such a big Mayweather Jr. fan that his social media handles are also inspired by the American boxer. His X username is @nishantdevjr and Instagram username is Nishantboxer_jr.

While Mayweather built his legacy on slick defense, Nishant fights more like Jake LaMotta — the Raging Bull. “I like attacking and being a southpaw, my game is based on that only,” Nishant said.

Though other Indian boxers have turned professional before him, the most famous being Vijender Singh, the Beijing Olympics bronze medallist, Nishant, at 23, is the youngest.

“In India there is very little awareness about pro boxing. While I was growing up, I hardly heard about any pro boxers until Vijender bhai turned pro in 2016,” Nishant said.

Vijender, Mandeep Jangra, Neeraj Goyat, and Vikash Krishnan have all turned professional. Mandeep’s recent World Boxing Federation’s super featherweight title is the biggest achievement by an Indian. “I hope more Indian boxers turn professional… . I want to be an inspiration for them in the ring,” Nishant said.

Mini-break

After the Olympics heartbreak, Nishant took a break from boxing and spent time traveling with his family and friends.

“Paris was tough for me. My whole family was present there, and it was a tough loss for me. I blanked out after the result didn’t come in my favour. But since I have my family, they took care of me. Even when I returned to India, everybody asked the same thing, and I didn’t want to answer any of it,” Nishant said.
During this difficult phase, Simms told him a change of scene would do him good. So he booked air tickets to Las Vegas.

“I was talking to Ronald during that time, and he asked me to travel to the USA and train with him for a few days. This was the same time around last year when the future of boxing was uncertain in the Olympic programme. A lot of people in the boxing community recognised me because of the quarter-final bout and also because I had fought USA’s Omari Jones in the first Olympic qualifiers,” Nishant said.

After training in the US for three months, Nishant received a call from Eddie Hearn, the British promoter who heads Matchroom Boxing. “When Eddie called and asked me to join… I I didn’t think twice. It was about realizing the dream I saw as a 15-year-old when I stepped in the boxing ring for the first time.”

A different ball game

The biggest difference between amateur and professional boxing is the format and duration of the bouts. In amateur boxing, there are three rounds of three minutes each, while title bouts in professional boxing consist of 12 rounds of 3 minutes each, while non-title fights can range from 4 to 10 rounds.

“As you know the difference between the duration of the bouts, there is a huge difference in training too. My training is much more intense and brutal as compared to what I used to do earlier,” Nishant said. Endurance, his Achilles’ Heel, has improved.

“The focus on endurance during my training days as an amateur was very less. Since I moved to the US, my endurance has improved. I employ different techniques like running and sprinting.”

Another difference that Nishant observed is about the mentality while training. “The best part there is that training is as rigorous and intense as a real bout would look. There is no concept of saving energy or strength for the bout. Boxers give their 110 percent in training and sparring. It has been the biggest learning for me so far,” Nishant explained.

Currently, Nishant has a five-member team with him. Ronald is coaching him, his brother Siddharth Dev is acting as assistant coach, and Bryan Peter is his manager. The other members in the team are responsible for booking his fights and managing the logistics.

While he has turned pro and will keep fighting in the US for the next couple of years, Nishant is open to having another go at winning an Olympic medal, but his heart is set on making a name as a professional boxer.