Top Rank’s Far East movement

With a population of 1.35 billion people and the world’s fastest growing economy, China is often seen by entrepreneurial spirits as the land of opportunity.

Ever since Deng Xiaoping opened China to the global market in the late seventies and pledged ‘to get rich is glorious’, the world’s most populous nation has been an economic success story fuelled by its former leader’s words of ambition.

China is now the globe’s second largest economy and is poised to leapfrog the US into top spot over the next four years, and with its added influence of wealth has come a natural progression of its worldwide influence in culture, implicating areas such as film, music and sport.

The latter most notably impacted with the success of the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and across a number of sporting disciplines Chinese athletes have risen to prominence in recent times. But one sport in which Chinese participation has been missing is professional boxing, that is until now, or at least this Saturday, when world title action descends on Macau.

Top Rank take a card to the Venetian Macao Resort Hotel for what they hope to be the first of many promotions in the Las Vegas of the Far East, after signing Chinese junior flyweight Zou Shiming, a triple Olympic medallist who makes his pro debut on the night in a four-rounder.

Shiming is the first Chinese boxer in history to turn professional and after becoming the communist state’s most successful amateur of all time, upgrading his Athens 2004 bronze to golds in Beijing and London 2012, he comes into the paid ranks as a national hero.

It’s that status that tempted Bob Arum to swoop and sign the 31-year-old, as well as the potential opportunity created by opening up boxing to a new market in China.

Shiming could be the vehicle for Arum to do just that and to maximise the American promoter’s first impression, the card this Saturday is stacked with established fighters from the lower weight classes.

Two world title fights are featured with Brain Viloria defending his WBO and WBA flyweight crowns against Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman ‘Rocky’ Martinez making the second defence of his WBO super featherweight title against the unbeaten Diego Magdaleno. Elsewhere, former super bantamweight titleholder Wilfredo Vazquez Jr is scheduled to go 12-rounds with Japanese fighter Yasutaka Ishimoto. Despite the credentials of those bouts Shiming’s debut will have top billing as the headline act, which says all you need to know about his drawing power that at 31 he can upstage several world level encounters with a four-round fight.

“People ask me how can you have a main event that is only four rounds,” said Arum at the press conference. “I tell them you can have it when the fighter is Zou Shiming.”

There’s clearly a lot of weight on Shiming’s shoulders but his opponent on Saturday shouldn’t have enough to crumble the foundations of Arum’s Chinese empire. Mexican Eleazar Valenzuela (2-1-2, 1 KO) will be in the opposite corner, handpicked to ensure that the ‘Fists of Gold’ makes the most impressive start possible to his pro career.

Shiming’s nickname no doubt attests to the two gold medals in his possession but also to his lightning quick handspeed. The moniker also conjures memories of another Chinese icon, Bruce Lee and his ‘Fists of Fury’, which is apt considering Shimings fighting attributes were honed through years of training in martial-arts. With his blend of blurring handspeed and excellent footwork Shiming is naturally a front foot, offense-minded fighter. Who better to oversee training than Freddie Roach, having aided the career trajectories of a number of attacking fighters, most sensationally with Manny Pacquiao.

Approaching his 32nd birthday in May, time is of the essence for Shiming to reach his next career goal and as such he is being fast tracked towards a world title challenge as soon as late 2014. He will have the backing of Top Rank and HBO which will no doubt aid his cause and with the Venetian Macau – the world’s largest casino – he has the ideal home venue, but it’s the qualities that Shiming has as a fighter that give him the platform for superstardom, or at least that’s what his promotional team believe.

So a new era for Shiming, for Top Rank, for Chinese boxing and maybe even for boxing as a whole. It’s an opportunity for Chinese fighters to be exposed to an American audience and for American promoters such as Arum and Top Rank to tap into a new market in China.

A wealthy market at that.

Images: scmp.com, komonews.com.

Martinez, Magdaleno battle in Macau

Roman ‘Rocky’ Martinez makes the second defence of his WBO super featherweight title on Saturday, entering the Venetian Hotel and Casino to defend his crown on foreign soil against Las Vegas native Diego Magdaleno.

Of course the Puerto Rican would be on foreign soil you might say and what’s the big deal about him fighting in the world’s boxing capital? But Magdaleno won’t enjoy home advantage either on the night, as the fight will not be taking place in Sin City.

The 130-pounders have travelled across the globe to Macau, China, where they will meet in the ring at the Venetian Macao Resort Hotel. Martinez-Magdaleno will be part of a stacked card in Top Rank’s first promotion in China, which they hope to be the first of many after signing Chinese junior flyweight Zou Shiming, a triple Olympic medallist who makes his pro debut in a four-rounder.

The card also features Brain Viloria’s flyweight title defence against Juan Francisco Estrada and former super bantamweight titleholder Wilfredo Vazquez Jr in with Japanese fighter Yasutaka Ishimoto. But it’s the super featherweights who arguably make for the most intriguing battle, pitting the powerful and aggressive Martinez against the fast, skilled Magdaleno.

After winning back his WBO title with a split-decision victory over Miguel Beltran Jr last September, Martinez (26-1-2, 16 KOs) was again pushed close in the first defence of his new reign when he fought to a draw with Juan Carlos Burgos in January. Many observers felt that Burgos had done enough to get the verdict, but Rocky retained his title and the only defeat on his slate remains the 2010 loss to Ricky Burns.

In Magdaleno (23-0, 9 KOs) he can expect another tough night’s work as the unbeaten southpaw will be full of confidence from the fine form he has shown in his recent outings. He might not be a puncher but the Mexican-American has collected six of his nine stoppage wins in his last eight fights and has typically blown away those opponents with hand speed and accurate punching, with the versatility to either box on the back foot or press forward and attack.

Whilst he may have been dispatching his opponents in impressive fashion however he has not fought at Martinez’s level before. Magdaleno’s biggest scalps are former world title challengers Fernando Beltran and Antonio Davis, but Martinez has contested six world title fights and had his hand raised all but once.

The Puerto Rican has built a reputation for being an exciting slugger and given Magdaleno’s lack of power and the fact he’s tasted the canvas more than once before the challenger would be well advised to keep this fight at a distance. He’s a great mover around the ring and he’ll need to be as Martinez attempts to cut the ring off, where he’ll be much more at home on the inside.

Both men have a high punch output, which bodes well for an entertaining clash, but this will ultimately be a battle between boxer and puncher, with a close affair deciding who reaps the benefit of Macau’s Eastern promise.

Image:boxingscene.com.