WBA Feather Champ Xu Can Looking Sharp for Sunday's Defense Against Japanese Shun Kubo in China

By Carlos Costa

FUZHOU, China — WBA Featherweight World Champion Can Xu (徐灿) looked in excellent shape, fit and focused ahead of the first defense of his world crown this coming Sunday, May 26, here in the flourishing City of Fuzhou in Jiangxi Province, southeastern China.

“The Chinese Monster” sweated a few rounds for the media in his public work out, today Thursday, Ma 23, doing shadow boxing and mitts with his team made of trainers from the Philippines and France.

An Orthodox Boxer, Xu Can looked Sharp an Focused Ahead of his Coming War

Promoted by China’s top boxing promoter Liu Gang of Max Power Promotions, Xu Can (16-2, 2 KO’s) headlines in his tough mission against heavy-handed Japanese warrior former super bantamweight world champion Shun Kubo (13-1, 9 KO’s), a fight destined to become a non-stop action-packed Asian thriller.

The fan-friendly Chinese Monster, a quick, coming-forward fighter who invariable aims at throwing his punches in combinations of three or four, faces stiff competition in the fast, hard-punching Japanese samurai from Kobe, a man wanting to become a two-division champion of the world.

World Champ Xu Can Walks with his Filipino trainer after doing the Mitts.

Will the world champion from the Middle Kingdom Xu Can outbox and control the devastating power of the warrior from the Land of the Rising Sun?

Or will Shun Kubo find his rhythm and timing to overpower the third boxing world champion born in mainland China… right in his hometown of Fuzhou?

The final presser for the Xu Can vs Shun Kubo with fighter’s face-off is scheduled for tomorrow Friday, official weigh-in Saturday and fight night Sunday.

The event will be broadcast live on China’s sports channel CCTV 5.

In the co-main event, Japanese Sho Kimura (18-2-2, 11 KO’s) — the dangerous former flyweight world champion who stopped and ravaged the eye of former Top Rank fighter Zou Shiming, ending his stellar career — comes down one weight-class to challenge heavy-handed WBA Light Flyweight (Regular) World Champion Carlos Cañizales (21-0-1, 17 KO’s), a relentless gladiator who just loves to knock out opponents.

The show is a production of Chinese top boxing promoter Liu Gang, director of Max Power Promotions.

From L to R: coach Nicholas from France, the author Carlos Costa and WBA Champ Xu Can

The author Carlos Costa is a boxing reporter living in the Philippines. He is in Fuzhou, China, for this event. Carlos can be reached at carlos512@hotmail.com and whatsapp/viber/wechat: +639184538152.