Top Rank boxing is producing a card this Saturday night in Macau, China with a card headlined by Chinese star Zou Shiming’s first attempt at a World title, as he faces Amnat Ruenroeng of Thailand for his IBF World Flyweight belt. Right now, the sport books have posted a line with Shiming as the favorite at (-350), with Ruenroeng coming back at (+260). None of the matches posted have an over/under, and the live event features eight fights, the main bouts of which will air on UniMas and HBO2 in the United States. Zou Shiming is just (6-0) as a professional, but with two gold medals in three Olympic appearances, he has done all he can in the amateur ranks and has comer into the professional circuit at a high level and on a fast track. He has fought all of his fights at the Venetian in Macao, and this fight is no different, as he is already a star in his homeland, and Bob Arum and Top Rank would like nothing more than to see him become an international star. He has the talent to do so. In the professional ranks, he fought 10 rounds with Mexico’s Luis De la Rosa to win the WBO International Flyweight title in July of 2014 and then he defended the belt with a unanimous twelve round decision over Thai fighter Kwanpichit Onesongchaigym, where he thoroughly outpointed the previously undefeated opponent. Ruenroeng is also undefeated at (14-0), and he also joined the professional ranks in 2012 speeding out of the gates due to an extensive amateur background that includes a 2008 Beijing Olympic appearance, where he went (2-1). Bringing an amateur background to a fight with Shiming is probably not enough, but the Thai is (14-0), more than doubling Shiming’s number of professional bouts. In January of last year, he defeated veteran Rocky Fuentes (35-6-2) for the vacant IBF World Flyweight title, and he has gone on to defend the belt twice already. He has logged five 12 round decisions in his career, and in one of them, he defended his title in Japan where the judge’s scorecards came back a bizarre (119-108,113-114,115-112), so he has faced adversity on the road. The other bout being featured at the books is at Super Welterweight, as New Jersey’s Glen Tapia comes in as the favorite at (-1260) when he faces Aussie Daniel Dawson for the NABO Title in a 10 round bout. Dawson is returning at (+620). Tapia recorded two wins in 2014, as he was bouncing back from the lone defeat of his career at the hands of James Kirkland in December of 2013. Tapia also has a long amateur career on his resume, and he has kept a solid level of competition throughout his career. In July of 2013, when he was an undefeated (19-0) he faced Abraham Han, who was also (19-0) on ESPN2 for the vacant WBO NABO Super Welterweight title. Tapia dropped Han in the seventh round and Han did not answer the bell to come for the ninth. Dawson is now 37 years old, and after amassing a (40-4-1) record in a more than twelve year career, he is a known quantity. In his last outing, back in August of 2014, he went 10 rounds with Austin Trout before losing the decision, and back in May of 2010 he sported a stellar (34-1) record to earn a shot at the WBO World Super Welterweight title. He was unable to break through and defeat Serhiy Dzinziruk, and Dawson’s activity rate has steadily dropped off in the years since. Tapia, at twelve years younger, is likely hungrier at this point, with Dawson enjoying a nice trip to Macau.
