Oscar de la Hoya Lands in Shanghai, Eyes Developing Relations with China Boxing

By Carlos Costa

Boxing icon Oscar de la Hoya landed Tuesday night ((March 26) in China ahead of his meetings with top Chinese promoter Liu Gang, and to attend regional WBA and OPBF title clashes between world-ranked Chinese, Thai and Japanese fighters this Saturday, March 30, at the plush Putou Indoor Stadium in the legendary eastern Chinese City known as “The Pearl of the Orient,” Shanghai.

De la Hoya was received at Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport by his host, award-winning promoter Liu Gang, head of China’s Max Power Promotions, and handler of WBA Featherweight World Champion Can Xu (16-2, 2 KO’s).

“It is a pleasure and an honor to welcome Mr. Oscar de la Hoya to China,” said Liu Gang today, “we look forward to great meetings and to forge a really good relationship.”

Saturday evening, de la Hoya will attend a triple-header card promoted by Liu Gang, a Chinese man of boxing who last November claimed the “WBC ABCO East Asian Promoter of the Year Award” during the 3rd WBC Women’s Convention in Manila, Philippines.

The Shanghai triple-header includes world-ranked former flyweight world champion Sho Kimura (17-2-2, 10 KO’s) of Saitama, Japan, battling former WBC Asian ruler Wicha Phulaikhao (60-10, 24 KO’s) of Thailand for the vacant OPBF Flyweight Belt.

Sho Kimura — the tough Nippon fighter who ended the stellar boxing career of Chinese former Top Rank champion Zou Shiming — aims at another shot at a world title, and Saturday he will have his chance to push his plan forward.

Also seeing action is Liu Gang’s protégé WBA world-ranked 24-year-old Baishanbo Nasiyiwula (15-2-1, 6 KO’s) of China’s far northwest Xinjiang Uygur region defending his WBA Asia 140-pound strap against tough and focused Japanese warrior Yusuke Konno (14-4-7 KO’s) of Tokyo.

In addition, undefeated hard-swinging train Ryota Yamauchi (4-0, 4 KO’s) of Osaka, Japan, wages war against Middle Kingdom gladiator Wulan Tuolehaz (10-3-1, 5 KO’s) for the vacant WBA International Flyweight TItle and a berth in the world-rankings.

Oscar de la Hoya meeting Chinese and Japanese boxing promoters Wednesday in Shanghai

Seven more international pro combats, most of them featuring Japanese warriors against Chinese foes, are ready thrill fight fans in attendance.

The bell for the first fight sounds at 7 PM.

The televised show is a promotion of China’s Max Power Promotions.

The author Carlos Costa is a boxing reporter living in the Philippines. Carlos can be reached by email carlos512@hotmail.com and whatsapp/wechat +639184538152.