Rex Tso
The next boxing world title attempt by a local favorite has been scheduled for July 18 at the Cotai Arena. Hong Kong’s “The Wonder Kid” Rex Tso will be challenging Japan’s WBA super flyweight champion Kohei Kono, announced Top Rank CEO Bob Arum. Meanwhile, Zou Shiming will stage his comeback fight on the same card.
27-year old Tso has kept up the momentum of China’s hope to have its own professional world champion, winning a hard-fought unanimous decision over Filipino boxer Michael Enriquez in a super flyweight eliminator Saturday night.
“Next step: win a world title. After that, help to popularize boxing in Hong Kong and China,” Tso said after the fight. “When people think of Hong Kong, I don’t want them to just think of Bruce Lee; I want them to think of Rex Tso.”
Tso signed with promoter Top Rank before the fight, with the expectation that he would become the first boxer from Hong Kong to fight for a world title.
Another rising Chinese boxer backed by Top Rank is Dalian’s Ik Yang (19-0-0-1, 14 KOs). Arum said Yang would be sought after for the country’s first world title opportunity.
The multi-bout “Showdown at Sands,” at the Cotai Arena on Saturday night, sailed quickly until the finale, as undercard fighters delivered five stoppage wins out of seven bouts.
Ik Yang stunned the hometown audience with a sixth-round technical knockout over Thai fighter Patomsuk Pathompothong (30-3-1, 18 KOs) in an IBF light welterweight title eliminator.
Sharing trainer Freddie Roach with Zou and Yang, Glen “Jersey Boy” Tapia defeated Daniel Dawson by a third-round TKO and won the NABO junior middleweight title. BY
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