Zou to put friendship aside for bout
Print Edition
DOUBLE Olympic gold medallist Zou Shiming declared yesterday he would cast aside his friendship with Thailand’s IBF flyweight champion Amnat Ruenroeng and “try to kill him in the ring.”
Zou, 33, and Amnat, 35, have been buddies since their amateur days when they fought three times but will square off for the first time over 12 rounds tomorrow in Macau with the Thai champion’s belt at stake as Zou aims to win his first professional world title.
“We are professionals and although it’s true we are good friends, when he is in the ring I will want to hurt him, to try to kill him,” Zou said in jest.
Zou won a tight 5-2 decision over Amnat on the last occasion they fought as amateurs at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, but the Thai is the more experienced professional with an unbeaten 14 fight record and will be making the third defence of his title against Zou.
Zou won gold at both the Beijing and London Olympics and Saturday’s fight will be just his seventh as a pro.
But he says he is light years ahead of the man who stepped into the same Macau ring for his pro debut just over two years ago.
“I was too excited back then,” Zou said. “I’m much more relaxed now. That comes from confidence which comes from experience. I’ve had six fights already and I’ve learnt from all of them.”
Zou has a formidable mentor in the form of Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, who will dash straight back to Los Angeles after the contest to supervise Manny Pacquiao’s preparations for his superfight with Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas on May 2.
“I learnt a lot from Freddie, he taught me a lot of things and also I learnt a lot about myself in those six fights,” said Zou.
“We’ve improved my power and speed.”
Amnat, though, has no intention of letting his opponent walk off with his belt on Zou’s home soil in the southern Chinese city of Macau.
“Before our first fight (in Thailand’s King’s Cup in 2007) my team didn’t expect me to beat Zou because I was a replacement fighter,” said Amnat.
“But I did. Now we are confident I will do it again. Zou says he will take the belt to China, but it will stay in Thailand.
“I fight for Thailand in professional boxing and I want the Thai people to be happy to see the Thai flag flying highest again.”
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