Zou Shiming vs. Eleazar Valenzuela on April 6th in Macau

By Boxing News - 03/21/2013 - Comments

shiming2By Chris Williams: Former two time Olympic Gold Medalist Zou Shiming will be making his pro debut next month against Mexican flyweight Eleazar Valenzuela (2-1-2, 1 KO’s) in a scheduled four round bout at the Venetian Casino & Resort in Macao, China.

Shiming, 31, is a recent Top Rank addition to their stable and will be fighting at light flyweight. Trainer Freddie Roach has already worked out with Shiming, and he says he was surprised at the power of Shiming, although he’s not considered a power puncher at all or even close to being one.

Bob Arum of Top Rank is going to have to move Shiming along quickly with his career if he wants to get him a title shot before his 35th birthday. Arum can’t afford to move him along slowly if he wants to have him ever challenge for a title because he’s old for a fighter to be turning pro.

Some boxing fans believe that Arum isn’t worried about whether Shiming has any talent or not to make it to the next level. They feel that Arum just signed Shiming to open up the Chinese markets for his fighters, and to make good money off of Shiming no matter who he’s matched against.

If that’s the case then it really doesn’t matter who Arum matches Shiming up against because he’ll be able to pull in large crowds as long as Arum has Shiming fighting in China each time he fights. It’s not likely that Shiming will draw well in the United States.

Shiming should have no problems winning his first fight against Valenzuela because he’s obviously been well scouted to make sure that he’s not good enough to beat Shiming or make him struggle.

Roach is going to have to figure out a way to develop Shiming’s power because that’s something that he was clearly lacking in the amateur game, and Roach can gush all he wants about Shimings’ power while hitting the mitts, against the real thing he’s going to need real power and not someone that is building him up.



Comments are closed.