Zhong wins WBC title, faces Pinoy Cuello next

XIONG  Zhao Zhong of China made history when he won the vacant World Boxing Council minimumweight title with a unanimous 12-round decision over Mexico’s Javier Martinez Resendiz at the Kunming City Stadium in Kunming, China last Saturday.

Zhong became the first boxer from the Chinese mainland to win a professional boxing title.

Filipino WBC Silver minimumweight champ Denver Cuello was an interested spectator for this title bout.

Cuello, together with boxing patron Naris Singwangcha of Thailand and Promoter Aljoe Jaro attended the pre-fight press conference in China and the Filipino boxer was introduced as the next challenger for the winner of the Zhong-Martinez bout.

Jaro informed this writer through e-mail that they will begin negotiations for Cuello’s title challenge either after the fight in China or during the WBC Convention set in the first week of December in Mexico.

Cuello is the number one ranked contender in the 105-pound division.

Cuello was requested to step aside by WBC president Don Jose Sulaiman, who wanted to tap the market in China for professional boxing and committed that Cuello would fight the winner early next year.

The 25-year-old Cuello has a record of 32-4-6 (win-loss-draw) with 21 knockouts while Zhong has a record of 20-4-1 with 11 knockouts. /Correspondent Rene Bonsubre jr.