CEBU CITY, PHILIPPINES — The vaunted Chinese knockout artist Dianxing Zhu arrived in Cebu yesterday afternoon, all set and ready for his highly anticipated showdown with the unbeaten Ian Paul “Assassin” Abne of ARQ Stable this weekend.
Zhu will trade blows with Abne in an International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight title eliminator top billing the “Fist of Fury X” triple championship card of Chao Sy International Promotions on Saturday, May 9, at the Cebu Coliseum.
The winner of their 12-round rumble will earn a mandatory shot at reigning IBF 105-pound champion Pedro Taduran (20-4-1, 14KOs).
Zhu, 29, is a dangerous power-puncher who won 14 of his 16 pro fights by way of knockout with only one defeat.
More to it, five of Zhu’s victims are Filipinos namely Shane Gentallan, Marco John Rementizo, Kevin Jimenez, Jerry Francisco, and Richard Garde.
For his part, the 26-year-old Abne sports a perfect 12-0 record with 4KOs and is up for the toughest yet in his budding career.
Before the Abne-Zhu duel, two other title bouts will be contested featuring Chao Sy Stable boxers.
Jimuel Arañas (8-3-1, 4KOs) will lock horns with Jeric Noynay (5-2, 1KO) of Martinez Stable for the World Boxing Federation (WBF) Silver flyweight crown while John Paul “Angas ng Cebu” Gabunilas (10-4, 7KOs) will square off against Ramil Roda (7-3-2, 4KOs) of Omega Gym for the Philippine Boxing Federation (PBF) super flyweight belt.
| Emmanuel B. Villaruel/Sports Editor
