Nishant Dev to return for Los Angeles Olympics

Nishant Dev was primed for a boxing medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. While the medal was in touching distance, a controversial verdict led to his ouster in the quarter-finals of the men’s 71kg category.

Refusing to let the setback define him, Nishant made a bold move - stepping into professional boxing.

In an exclusive conversation with The Bridge, he shared how this switch is both a tactical step for his career and also aligned with the pursuit of his ultimate dream, becoming a world champion, something no Indian boxer has achieved yet.

Excerpts from an interview.

You turned professional when the future of Olympic boxing was uncertain, but now that it has secured a place in the Los Angeles Olympics, is a comeback on the cards?

When I switched to pro boxing, boxing was not going to be in the Olympics and at the same time I had a dream to become a World Champion in pro-boxing, something no Indian boxer has achieved yet. Legends like Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali made history in the WBC, and I want to create a legacy for India in this circuit.

One of my biggest reasons to go into pro-boxing is to overcome my weaknesses of endurance and stamina. By competing in longer rounds, I can build the strength to perform just as well in amateur boxing. Therefore, I'll come back to India a year early and leave my imprint on the Olympic stage when the Olympic qualifying events arrive.

Is there any difference between the amateur and pro-boxers?

There is a major difference in mentality between Indian boxers and boxers from other countries, like the United States and Europe. I trained with them, therefore I now have a superiority mentality, which has improved my performance.

Talking about the training aspects, there is a difference as pro-boxing has comparatively longer bouts, hence, needing more efforts.

You battled endurance issues in the past and we gather that you have put in the work. How is your stamina now in the ring?

I performed well in the Olympics, but I lost my endurance since I lost approximately 7-8 kg through food and nutrient intake, which was insufficient. And when I moved to the United States, dieticians assisted me a nutritional plan, which made a major difference in my performance.

After weighing in, some amateur boxers eat all of this fried food, which is not right. Rather, they should follow their diet plan. Even I made the same mistakes but when I went to the United States and I observed all those pro-boxers stop eating junk food about 8 weeks before the bouts. It made me realize that after qualifiers or weighing in, boxers should opt for a healthier, nutrient filled diet to help them put up a good fight.

Your Olympic bout was unforgettable! When you step into the pro-ring, do people recognize you from that fight?

I would say, I get more recognition in other countries than in India. When people discover I'm the guy who fought Marco Verde, they express regret that I didn't win. Even the Mexican coaches present there thought India came so close to winning the medal. And at times I get flashbacks of that bout, I can't help but feel sad that I didn't bring home the gold for India.

Marco was already a part of the pro-circuit, do you think that bout was also the reason you switched to professional boxing?

No, I had already defeated him once so I was pretty confident. In contrast, his face showed his under confidence. I performed well, I have seen my bout not just once but a lakh times and I never felt for a moment that I should have lost the fight. And if you see the last round closely, he clinched me 10-12 times, but the referee ignored it, clearly being partial towards him.

You say you have watched your bout a lakh times. If you could go back, would you change anything about that fight?

In the final round, I was exhausted, but I kept punching while my opponent clinched. That bout was the greatest level I had ever competed at, against a strong boxer, and handling that pressure was a big achievement for me. It boosted my confidence, and now, before every upcoming fight, I remember that moment and take it as a souvenir of my growth.

When you return to amateur boxing, what lessons from your pro-experience would you bring with you? And can you confidently say you'll be ready to go for the gold?

I already have strength and speed so I would say stamina and endurance are the key takeaways from my pro-experience and there are skills and techniques that will help me perform even better.

And yes, I would be confident enough to go for gold. My commitment was strengthened when I lost to Omari Jones in the World Olympic Boxing Qualifier in Italy, which I feel should have gone my way. After that, I told myself that this was my last shot at Olympic qualification, and I would give it everything, blood and sweat. Even with limited time to prepare for the Thailand qualifiers, I pushed through and succeeded.

Boxing has seen many biased decisions, pushing fighters away. Do you think the new world body will finally bring fair judging?

After the Thailand qualifiers, I spoke with Boris van der Vorst, the President of the World Boxing Federation. He told me he had watched my fight against Omari Jones and even he believed there was partiality in the decision. He assured me that he would work to ensure such bias doesn’t affect boxers in the future.

I also shared my perspective with him - controversial decisions might create hype for the audience for a day, but the real pain is felt by the athlete. Losing a fight you know you won breaks your morale because only you truly understand the blood and sweat you've put into it. Eventually, it’s all about how you handle that loss and keep pushing forward.

What’s next in your pro-boxing journey? 

I have about 6-7 fights lined up this year, with one already done. A visa permit change delayed things a bit, but I’ll be heading back within 10 days, with my next fight set for late April or early June. Next year, I plan to have around 4-5 bouts and will build a structured roadmap for each year. All of these are undercard fights, but my ultimate goal is to go for the belt after winning the Olympics. And I hope that title fight happens in India- just like many pro-boxers fight for their belts in their home country or city.