Yes, Xu Can! China’s latest boxing star to put world title on the line in May
- The 25-year-old will defend his WBA featherweight crown against Japanese southpaw Shun Kubo
- Xu hopes to emulate the exploits of two-time Olympic gold medallist Zou Shiming
Ever since two-time Olympic champion Zou Shiming lost his WBO flyweight belt two years ago, China has been looking for a new hero to continue the mainland’s fine tradition of producing world-class boxers.
Zou was for years the poster boy of Chinese boxing, winning three Olympic medals – two golds in Beijing and London and bronze in Athens – and becoming a world champion in his division before his career came to a stuttering halt with his TKO loss in Shanghai to fearless Japanese Sho Kimura in his first title defence.
Serious eye problems followed the Zunyi native and during a flight flying home, Zou suffered a detached retina that put paid to his storied career. While 37-year-old Zou (9-2-0, 2 KOs) hasn’t officially announced his retirement, his long absence from the ring suggests that Chinese fight fans must root for the next Chinese treasure. And they might have found it in WBA featherweight champion Xu Can.
Only 25-years-old, the Fuzhou native from Jiangxi province is the third Chinese boxer to have won a professional world title following in the footsteps of Zou and retired fighter, former WBC minimumweight champion Xiong Chaozhong.
The quietly spoken Xu doesn’t have any Olympic medals to speak of but he has undeniable talent and he showed it when he upset Puerto Rico’s Jesus Rojas in January for the WBA featherweight crown in Houston, a bout he won by unanimous decision.
In doing so, he became the youngest Chinese boxer to win a professional title. Virtually unknown in the United States before the Rojas fight, his talent attracted the attention of Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, who signed Xu’s Max Power company in 2017 to jointly promote Xu’s fights overseas.
Nicknamed “Monster” Xu is 16-2-0, 2 KOs and he will put his featherweight (126 pounds) world title on the line against Japanese southpaw Shun Kubo on May 26 in Xu’s hometown of Fuzhou.
Coached by famed trainer Pedro Diaz, Xu squared off with Kubo (13-1, 9 KOs) during a media conference in Beijing recently and sparks flew.
“I’m not going to allow anyone to take this belt out of my house,” said Xu. “He [Kubo] might be a tough fighter and a strong challenger, but I’m hungrier. Defending the title would be more satisfying than winning it for the first time.
“It’s an honour to make my first title defence in my hometown. I have been training hard and I want to dedicate victory to my fellow compatriots,” he said confidently.
Kubo tried to steal the limelight away from the Chinese boxer, promising victory next month.
“I don’t care that I have to fight in his hometown. I will bring back the belt to Japan for sure,” said 29-year-old Kubo, a two-time world title challenger who is 13-1-0, 9 KOs.
Also on the same fightcard is Zou’s conqueror, Kimura (18-2-2, 11 KOs). The former WBO flyweight champion has dropped weight (108 pounds) and will challenge Carlos Canizales (21-1, 17 KOs) of Venezuela for his WBA light flyweight title.
