By Steve Kim

As of this moment it's not clear just where WBO flyweight titlist, Zou Shiming's career is heading. For the time being it seems like he's having some promotional issues.

"They want to promote themselves, they're fighting with our partner, SECA, and we have a contract with them and that's the stand-off,'' explained the founder of Top Rank Inc, Bob Arum.

From the very beginning of Shiming's career (after winning two Olympic gold medals) and with his popularity in China, began to make inroads in the Asian market, having him perform mostly in Macao.

Shiming saw action three times in 2016. In January, he pulled in a TKO win over Natan Coutinho in Shanghai, China. He then traveled over to Madison Square Garden in New York, when he won a decision over Jozsef Ajtai on the June 11th undercard to Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Roman Martinez.

Last November at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas (on the Manny Pacquiao-Jessie Vargas undercard), he captured the vacant WBO flyweight title by out-pointing Prasitsak Phaprom of Thailand over twelve rounds.

So as for what the future holds for the 36-year old Shiming (9-1, 2 KO's), Arum believes this current conflict will - "get resolved, our partners have done nothing wrong and we're not going to dump our partners to keep our relationship with Zou Shiming. We won't do that."

Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com