Zou Shiming: a top Chinese flyweight with similar influence of Pacquiao

“Referring to Macau’s emergence as a destination on the world boxing scene, Arum said: ‘He opened this up. All of this is happening not because of Pacquiao, but because of Shiming.’”

MACAU — Given Manny Pacquiao’s popularity, it is not surprising to see images of him lining the halls of a hotel this week.

But also featured prominently on the official fight poster, besides Pacquiao’s opponent this weekend, Chris Algieri of Long Island, is a third fighter on the card, who is sharing the marquee.

He is Zou Shiming, and it is not an accident that his picture is front and center. According to those involved with the promotion of the fight, which is expected to fill the 15,000-seat arena at the Venetian Macao, Zou’s presence is every bit as important as Pacquiao’s — if not more.

“He’s the poster boy for boxing in China,” said Bob Arum, the chief executive of Top Rank Boxing, which represents Zou. “Manny is very popular. But if you went around and talked to the audience, Zou Shiming is No. 1.”

Zou, a 5-foot-5, 112-pound flyweight, achieved elite status in China mostly on the strength of his Olympic gold medal victories in 2008 — in Beijing — and 2012 in London.

“I was very excited and proud of him because he’s Chinese, and he won the Olympics,” said Li Chu Fa, a boxing fan from the Shunde district of Guangdong Province. “All my friends went, ‘Wow!’ ”

Zou turned professional in April 2013, and since then, his fan base has only grown. Arum said he expected the Chinese television audience for this weekend’s bout to exceed 300 million, roughly three times the American audience during the Super Bowl.

Ed Tracy, chief executive of Sands China, which includes the Venetian, was eager to develop boxing in Macau as a way to attract customers from mainland China. Tracy believed that Zou was the only viable candidate to anchor those efforts. His conviction has been validated over the course of Zou’s first five professional fights, all of which have taken place at the hotel, and all of which have drawn large crowds.

“To have an opportunity to coalesce a program around somebody who’s a national hero doesn’t happen every day,” Tracy said. “Quite frankly, this guy has delivered in a way that has really surprised me.”

Referring to Macau’s emergence as a destination on the world boxing scene, Arum said: “He opened this up. All of this is happening not because of Pacquiao, but because of Shiming.”

For his part, Zou is reluctant to accept such accolades. Before a workout Tuesday at the hotel’s gym, he demurred, citing Pacquiao as the weekend’s true star.

“The audience is here for Pacquiao,” Zou said through an interpreter. “I’m just happy that I have a chance to perform on the same stage as Manny.”

Zou is perhaps the only person here who questions his ability to compete with Pacquiao as a drawing card. More skeptics can be found, though, in discussions of whether Zou can approach Pacquiao’s level of accomplishment in the ring.

Zou struggled to win a four-round decision against a mediocre opponent in his professional debut. But he has improved drastically, capturing all four of his subsequent bouts against tougher competition.

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“I’ve learned from every single professional fight since the first one,” Zou said. “As my opponents have gotten stronger, I feel I’ve gotten stronger.”

Arum credits the trainer Freddie Roach with accelerating Zou’s progress. He said that Roach, who trains Zou and Pacquiao, was crucial in helping Zou abandon what he dismissively calls the “slap, slap, slap” style that is tailored more for the Olympics.

“His first fight, he was pretty awful because of his amateur style,” Arum said. “But Freddie has developed him into a really good professional.”

Roach and Zou have made significant strides in the nearly two years they have worked together. But Roach feels they still have a long way to go.

“Right now, he’s a good fighter,” Roach said during a break in his fighters’ workouts. “His offense is very good. We’ve lost a little bit of his defense in changing him into a more offensive fighter. So we have to work on that a little bit more.”

Roach might classify Zou as a strong offensive fighter, but he has knocked out only one of his first five opponents. Zou, though, is content to take the victories however he can get them.

“I just want to win,” he said. “Knockouts are just one way to win. Getting a knockout takes good opportunity and good timing. If you have more experience, you can get more KOs for sure.”

Roach also feels that with seasoning, the knockouts will come.

“He really can punch,” Roach said. “He just hasn’t had the confidence of using his power correctly. He’s still young and doubtful a little bit about power.”

But Roach quickly added: “He’ll start knocking guys out. I promise.”

He will have to start soon, if Arum is correct in his prediction that Zou, 33, does not have many more fights left in him.

“He’ll fight for a couple of more years,” Arum said. “I doubt he gets to 20” bouts.

And thus the desire for a rapid career progression. Zou’s opponent this weekend, the Thai Kwanpichit OnesongchaiGym, is 27-0-2. Should Zou win, the plan is for him to challenge Amnat Ruenroeng for the International Boxing Federation flyweight championship early next year.

These are unusually difficult matches for someone only five fights into his professional career. Then again, Pacquiao cultivated his reputation by taking on all comers. If Zou’s popularity is to follow a similar course and extend beyond Asia to the United States, he will have to start taking on and defeating the best, and doing it in exciting fashion.

“I have confidence in him,” Li, the fan, said. “He’s very positive to the sports industry in China, especially boxing. Before Shiming, it was a bit weak. But now, Shiming turned up, and he’s going to write a new page in boxing.”

Roach said he believed Zou was up to the task.

“This guy’s a freak,” Roach said. He pointed to the far corner of the gym, where Pacquiao was busy working the speed bag, and said, “Like him.”