Runqi Zhou made certain to mood his enthusiasm after his greatest win to this point.
The rejuvenated featherweight got here up huge in an Oct. 26 ninth-round knockout of Ubayd Haider in Nadi, Fiii. Zhou (8-2-1, 3 knockouts) utilized relentless stress earlier than he pressured the stoppage at 2:31 of the ninth spherical.
It second straight win for the 24-year-old Chinese language boxer, after he went 0-2-1 in a earlier three-fight stretch. Nevertheless, any ideas of a celebration have been curbed when Haider (10-2, 6 KOs) was carried out on a stretcher. The 25-year-old Fijian southpaw stays underneath commentary at Lautoka Aspen Hospital’s ICU ward.
“Let‘s ship optimistic vibes for my Fiji boxer Ubayd Haider well being and to have a speedy restoration,” Zhou said afterward. “I would really like for everybody to say a prayer.”
In the meantime, the profession of “Fist-of-Fury” in any other case strikes ahead with optimism for the primary time in years.
The battle was Zhou’s second in lower than two months after he relocated to Australia. The transfer was deemed needed as his profession was caught in a holding sample since early final 12 months. A pair of losses bookended an eight draw to go away him winless for the second half of 2023.
Zhou made modifications throughout the board after a shutout loss to Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov final November in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He modified his residence, his ring moniker, administration crew and weight class.
Now campaigning at featherweight and guided by Tony Tolj’s Dragon Hearth Boxing, issues are lastly on an upward trajectory.
“Runqi Zhou now goes by the moniker “Fist of Fury” and for good motive,” Tolj advised The Ring. “He doesn’t cease punching. Runqi labored relentlessly on the physique and paid dividends choosing up the TKO within the ninth spherical.”
The win got here simply seven weeks after Zhou edged Richard Lockett in a six-round resolution. The Sept. 7 battle was Zhou’s debut with Dragon Hearth, whose present steady contains the Moloney twins—Jason and Andrew—and strawweight contender Alex Winwood.
“He has solely been in Australia and has already had two fights,” famous Tolj. “Lockett had a win over world rated Jackson England and an in depth lose to WBO and IBF #1 Sam Goodman.
“Essentially the most exceptional factor about Fist of Fury is he has no amateurs fights and at 24 has a tremendous future. I’m very enthusiastic about his future, he’s one to maintain on the radar for certain.”
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