Zou primed for world title shot

China's double Olympic gold medalist Zou Shiming will get his first professional world title shot against International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight champion Amnat Ruenroeng at the Venetian Macao on March 7.

As first reported by China Daily last week, Zou (6-0, 1 KO) will be up against a familiar foe in unbeaten Thai Ruenroeng (14-0, 5 KOs).

The pair fought three titanic battles during their amateur careers, with Zou winning the last two. Their trilogy included a 5-2 points decision in the light flyweight semifinal at the 2010 Asian Games, where Zou went on to win gold.

"When we were fighting as amateur boxers I think we were at the same level in terms of strength," said Zou, who is coming off his most impressive victory to date - a 12-round demolition of Kwanpichit Onesongthaigym on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao's victory over Chris Algieri at the Venetian last month.

"Now that he's a world champion, he's definitely getting stronger - but I'm improving as well."

Promoter Bob Arum said Zou, the poster boy for Chinese boxing who hails from Zunyi, Guizhou province, deserves a world title shot, despite only having six fights and having been a professional for just 23 months.

"Zou has earned his right to fight for a professional world championship belt," said Arum, 82, who has promoted some of the world's greatest fighters in a Hall of Fame career spanning 50 years.

Zou is currently ranked No 4 by the World Boxing Association (WBA) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO).

He became one of the world's greatest amateur boxers, capturing gold medals at the world amateur championships in 2005, 2007 and 2011, gold at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and a bronze at the 2004 Games in Athens. He turned pro after his gold at London 2012.

Ruenroeng came to boxing via an enitrely different route - on a prison boxing program that saw him become a national amateur champion in 2007 while still serving 15 years for robbery.

His boxing success earned him an early release.

Ruenroeng turned pro in 2012 after failing to make Thailand's 2012 Olympic team. He captured the vacant IBF flyweight title 11 months ago with a unanimous decision over Rocky Fuentes and has defended it twice since.