by Ronnie Nathanielsz

 

A bruised WBC  straw-weight world champion, Xiong Zhao Zhong, has visited WBC Vice President, Senator Kovid Bhakdibhumi of Thailand after his return from Dubai.

 

Zhong who successfully defended his championship against tough mandatory contender Denver Cuello of the Philippines who fought with a right shoulder injury which forced him to fight with only one hand is scheduled to undergo surgery for a torn rotator cuff at the Makati Medical Center.

The photo of Zhong during his call on Senator Kovid, a former police general, showed his bruised face as a result of the pounding he took from Cuello who dropped the champion in the first round but couldn’t finish him off.

Even the WBC website noted that the first championship fight at the World Trade Center in Dubai was “rugged and tremendous as the bruises on the WBC champion clearly show.”

It said China lauds Zhong as a national hero, and his victory  has solidified concerted efforts, which started many years ago, to bring professional boxing to the most populous country in the world.

The WBC celebrated it’s 46th convention in Chengdu, China in 2009, which was a great success and this officially opened  the world of boxing to China.