Article by John Manenti
With the dissolution of the Soviet Empire in late December 1991, the compulsory status of amateur in the various sports disciplines also ceases, so that the athletes of the former component republics of the USSR, which have now become independent, can access the professional categories, first of all boxing, except for those countries still under communist regimes, such as Cuba and China among the most important …
Not surprisingly, the Caribbean boxers are now closely undermining the United States in the Absolute Olympic Medalist with only 9 Gold Medals (50 to 41) to divide the two Countries, while they largely lead with 143 laurels (of which 80 Gold, 35 silvers and 28 bronzes) the Ranking referring to the World Amateur Championships, while as far as China is concerned, like the other Asian states, it sees its best exponents in lower weight categories.
Oh God, the plural is just an effort of optimism, just think that some A total of 27 medals won (14 at the Games and 13 at the World Championships) by China, as many as 7 belong to a single athlete and, an even more decisive detail, this one is awarded 5 of the 6 Golds (two Olympic and 3 World) of their countrytherefore being able to rightfully boast the title of most successful Chinese boxer in history …
It is certainly not the emblem of physical might, Zou Shiming, born on May 18, 1981 in Zunyi, a city of more than 6 million people located in Guizhou Province, as he competes in the Minifly Categoryfalling within the 49 kilos of weight which represent the limit compared to the 1.65 m in height, but this is the beauty of these Disciplines, that is to let the athletes compete on equal terms and, moreover, that Zou has all the credentials to excel at the highest levels have been verified since his debut at the World Championships held in the second week of July 2003 in Bangkok, where he takes the silversurrendering only in the Final in front of the Russian European Champion Sergey Kazakov.
Zou who gets similar placement 6 months later, on the occasion of the Asian Championships which take place in the second ten days of January 2004 in Puerto Princesa, in the Philippines, this time defeated by the Pakistani Nauman Karim, a placement that still earned him selection for the Athens Olympics of the following month of Augustso as to be able to debut at the Games on August 18, 2004 in the ring of the “Penisteri Olympic Boxing Hall” facing the American Rau’shee Warren in the first round, clearly defeated (22-9) on points …
In the next round, a similar fate with an even clearer difference (31-8) befell the Ethiopian Endalkachew Kebede, just as there is no doubt in assigning the victory (20-12) to the 23-year-old Chinese in the quarter-final match against the Armenian Aleksandr Nalbandyan and thus access the Medals area together with the aforementioned Kazakov, combined with the Turkish Atagun Alcinkaya, while Zou touches the Cuban Yan Bartelemi, only a year older, but already World Champion in 2001 in Belfast …
The stumbling block results insurmountable for Zou, who comes out defeated on points (29-17) with the one who then wins the Gold Medal having the upper hand in the final act with Alcinkaya (21-16 the verdict …), but the experience gained in these first two years in the great International Events will be put to good use by the Chinese boxer in the brilliant continuation of his career.
Already from the following season, in fact, the successes for Zou begin to rain, which he catches the world title at the World Cup which takes place at home, in Mianyang, in a Review in which revenge on Barthelemi is taken in the Quarterfinalsnarrowly defeated (12-10) to then provide proof of great superiority in the Final (31-13) over the Hungarian Pal Bedak, affirmation that the now 26-year-old Chinese replies two years later on the occasion of World Cup in Chicago, where he inflicted mortifying defeats both in the semifinal (16-1) to the French Nordine Oubaali) and in the Final to the Filipino Harry Tanamor with a score of 17-3 such as not to admit replies.
There can therefore be no doubt that Zou is the clear favorite for the Gold Medal at the 2008 Olympics which, moreover, take place in Beijing – having moreover imposed himself on the 2006 Asian Games by overcoming Thailand’s Suban Pannon in the Final by stoppage of combat, while being vice versa was defeated by Mongolian Purevdorjiin Serdamba at the 2007 Asian Championships – but after the easy debut (11-2) on the Venezuelan Eduard Bermudez, in the second round, against the French Oubaali, the match proves to be much more difficult than expected, with the transalpine to have learned from the lesson suffered the previous year in the world championship review forcing the public’s favorite to a tiring draw (3-3) to then see the latter prevail for supremacy …
Escaped the danger, Zou has rather easily (9-4) the Kazakh Birzhan Zhakypov, so as to access the semifinals to face the Irishman Patrick Barnes who, beyond the rather clear outcome (15-0) in favor of the home boxerhe comes up with the classic phrase when meeting representatives of the organizing country “the only way to win was if there were no Judges”, a protest born above all from not having been awarded any blow in his favor …
In any case, there would be an opportunity for Zou to a greedy revenge on Serdamba, who emerged victorious from the match against the Cuban Yampier Hernandezexcept that his opponent had injured his shoulder which, despite still climbing the square on the evening of the August 24, 2008, prevents him from continuing the match, withdrawing already during the first round with the Chinese who, in full oriental style, cannot hold back the tears for the misfortune of his rival.
Approaching the 30-year mark, Zou still hasn’t lost the desire to collect victories, confirming the title of four years earlier at the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games, in which he defeated 9-5 in the Final Zhakypov, to then seize his third world title at the World Championship review which takes place from 22 September to 10 October 2011 in Baku, in which he beats the Russian David Ayrapetyan 15-8 in the semifinal (silver from the 2009 edition won by Serdamba …) and defeated the South Korean Shin Jong-Hun 20-11 in the Final who, with the same scorehad eliminated the defending champion Serdamba.
These affirmations place Zou, in spite of having already completed 31 springs, in the restricted lot ofthe favorites for the Gold Medal also at the London 2012 Olympicswhere, exempt from the first round, he makes his debut in the ring of the “ExCeL Exhibition Centre” having the better (14-11) with difficulty on the 20 year old Cuban Yosvany Veitia – destined to have a brilliant career among the Flyweights – for then to prevail once again (13-10) on Zhakypov and then be forced again to cross gloves against Barnes in the semifinalwhile the other match pits Ayrapetyan against the Thai Kaeo Pongprayoon, with the latter prevailing (13-12) against the odds …
For the 25-year-old Irishman – who had gone out in the second round the previous year at the World Cup, beaten by the Filipino Mark Barriga – here is the opportunity to demonstrate how true his statements four years earlier in the Chinese capital were, that the sameor exploit properly by forcing Zou to draw 15-15 only to then give in to the tiebreakso that the three-times world champion has the opportunity to confirm the title in Beijing, but the opponent proves to be far from malleable, indeed far from it, and, with the public on his side (perhaps even for Batnes’ elimination…), the final verdict that assigns the victory (13-10) to Zou is loudly booedwith the Thai unable to hold back tears at the awards ceremony.
We recalled at the beginning how Dilettantism still reigns in Communist regime nations, but China is more flexible in this regard, especially with those who have honored the country’s name at the highest levels, so that, at the conclusion of the London Games, Zou was granted permission to pass Professional, where he made his debut in the Moscow category on 6 April 2013 overtaking the Mexican Eleazar Carrillo on points, and then, on 19 July 2014, in the ring of the “Cotai Arena” in Macao, conquering the WBO world crown by defeating the Colombian Luis de la Rosa on points with a unanimous verdict (97-93, 99-91 and 99-91)title victoriously defended on four occasions before giving it up on 28 June 2017 on the square of the “Oriental Sports Center” of Shanghai, against the Japanese Sho Kimura, more than 7 years younger …
Nonetheless, at the end of the tenth round, two out of three judges gave the now 36-year-old Zou the edge (96-94 and 97-93 against only 96-94 for the Japanese …), before the match was decided by a right hook from Kimura followed by a combination of blows which lead the referee to interrupt the match after 2’28” of the eleventh round which also marks the end of his career of the Chinese boxer.
Is there anyone who dares to question that he is the best boxer China has ever had…?? In truth, we really think not…