Cheema faces a ring eccentric in Singh

Dylan Cheema…taking part in his first six rounder this Sunday

DYLAN Cheema, the lightweight blessed with lightning reflexes, is in an intriguing, extremely interesting fight on BCB’s afternoon show at Eastside Rooms, Birmingham, this Sunday (July 30).

Cheema, tipped for big things after winning the major Boxxer tournament, faces Gurjant Singh over six rounds.

It’s the 27-year-old’s first contest after surprisingly losing his unbeaten record in his eighth fight last November.

On a televised show, Cheema was beaten over four rounds by Jordan Ellison last November. A single point was the difference.

I take my hat of to Cheema. He hasn’t picked a “gimme” for his first fight back after eight months out: his first six rounder, to boot.

Of course, the former kick-boxing star should have too much of everything for Singh who is wildly unorthodox.

But Dylan should be warned: his opponent carries a very healthy dig. His record doesn’t show it, but the man has power.

I was at ringside for Singh’s UK debut after he won three of eight in Indian. He came alone to face former outstanding amateur Hamzah Ahmed at the same venue as Sunday’s show. He faced a very partisan crowd.

Yet Singh rocked debutant Ahmed to his bootlaces before losing a lopsided decision.

And Cheema needs to brace himself for the most unorthodox boxer he’s ever faced.

My notes for the Ahmed contest state: “A stellar amateur career could not have prepared lightweight Hamzah Ahmed for the eccentricities opponent Gurjant Singh brought to the ring.

“On Anthony Manning’s sell-out show “Nxt Gen” at the Eastside Rooms, Birmingham, Hamzah ignored the weird antics – and they were decidedly weird, acid trip weird  – to hammer out a whitewash.

“There is showboating, there is clowning and then there is Singh’s repertoire. The 30-year-old laughed, stuck his tongue out, shimmied, swivelled his hips in a baffling dance, constantly beckoned Ahmed in and spread his arms whenever tagged. He kept that up for the contest’s entirety. Some believed Singh was trying to lure his opponent on to counters. Frankly, I thought he was on another planet, a very distant planet at that.”

Since Ahmed, Singh has lost three on points, but been matched hard: Dempsey Wale is 9-0, Tommy Murphy 5-0, while Sonny Hardy was making his debut.

Singh, despite looking woefully open at times, has never been stopped.

I expect Cheema, who oozes class, to win – and, if he sticks to his boxing, look a million dollars doing it.

Victory inside distance would be a statement.

But if he gets distracted by Singh’s bizarre antics or catches one cleanly, it could become very interesting.