The Chinese New Year began on February 19, 2015 — The Year of the Sheep. But Chinese boxing fans from around the world are hoping it will also usher in the beginning of The Shiming Dynasty.
This weekend on HBO Boxing, televised via same-day tape delay on HBO2 at 5pm Eastern, Zou Shiming takes on Amnat Ruenroeng, for Ruenroeng’s IBF flyweight title strap. Right here, find a preview of the Shiming vs. Ruenroeng fight, as well as all of the photos from the final press conference.
The HBO2 telecast will open with a 10-round junior middleweight tilt between Glen Tapia (22-1, 14 KOs), of Passaic, NJ, and Daniel Dawson (40-4-1, 26 KOs), of Perth, Australia. Veteran boxing blow-by-blow man and WNBC-TV’s lead sports anchor Bruce Beck and award-winning broadcaster and analyst Rich Marotta will be calling the action from ringside.
Making the Zou-Ruenroeng fight even more intriguing is the history these two warriors already have with each other. Their amateur trilogy began with Ruenroeng winning their first battle — as a late substitute called up by the Thailand amateur team — at the 2007 King’s Cup, which was also Ruenroeng’s first international competition.
Zou won the next two times they fought, including a reverse in their semi-final of the 2010 Asian Games that could have gone either way — and did. Now that they are professionals, the stakes are much higher and their simmering rivalry is set to become a roiling boil.
“Beloved in the Peoples’ Republic of China and an incredible talent, Zou has earned his right to fight for a professional world championship belt,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “It is fitting that the Zou vs. Ruenroeng world flyweight title fight take place at The Venetian Macao, which has become one of the great boxing capitals of the world.”
Undefeated top-rated Super Flyweight contender Rex Tso signed with Top Rank as Hall of Fame Top Rank promoter Bob Arum shakes hands with him. If Tso is successful this Saturday against Michael Enriquez , he will fight for a world title in the near future. Tso fights on the undercard of the Shiming – Ruenroeng card.
