CAN ZOU LIVE UP TO THE HYPE?
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 04 Apr 2013
MACAU - Images of Zou Shiming loomed large on electronic billboards all over Cotai. The music video of his ?Fists of Gold? theme song was played over and over inside the local hotels to promote his professional debut against Eleazar Valenzuela of Mexico. The two time Olympic gold medalist looked extremely confident during the final press conference held Thursday at the Venetian Macau Resort Hotel. Top Rank CEO Bob Arum was all praises for his company?s latest signee.
?We didn?t know what we were getting,? Arum said, ?But Zou has exceeded all expectations.?
Zou has been paired with Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach in a relationship that has been described as between a ?good student and a good teacher?.
Roach described his latest prize pupil as someone who possesses a lot of talent and dedication. ?These assets will make him a good pro,? Roach said, ?The harder I push him, the harder he works.? Roach predicts that Zou will be a world champ within a year.
During the presscon, Valenzuela?s trainer Alfredo Leon described his fighter as someone who has a very big heart that cannot fit inside his body. ?He will give everything until the last round.? Leon said. Zou countered by saying that China is a country that is hospitable to foreign guests but he will give his opponent his fist as his greeting. Roach spoke to philboxing after the presscon and answered more queries about Zou.
?He?s 31 but he is not an old 31, he was not banged up in tough fights.? Roach said, ?He impressed me the first time he walked into my gym. He was able to handle himself very well against Viloria during sparring.?
?Of course he has bad habits, everyone has bad habits,? Roach added, ?But he is willing to listen and learn.?
Zou?s name is very familiar to hardcore Filipino boxing fans because he defeated Mark Anthony Barriga in the Round of 16 at the 2011 AIBA World Boxing Championships. Shiming won the gold medal in the said tournament which also served as a qualifying event for the London Olympics. But because of a quirk in the rules, Barriga became the lone Filipino boxer to qualify in London because he lost to the tournament winner. But Zou eventually claimed his second Olympic gold.
Macau is being billed as the next Las Vegas and Zou will obviously be the flagship of Top Rank?s foray into the Far East. He is obviously the heavy favorite on Saturday night at the Cotai Arena but fans outside of China will take more interest once his competition gets tougher.
Photo: Zou Shiming, in the spotlight, speaks at a news conference Thursday afternoon at The Venetian in Macau.
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