The under card of the main event featuring Manny Pacquiao vs. Chris Algieri on Nov. 22 at the Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, contains two other names that are worth mentioning: WBO featherweight champ Vasyl Lomachenko (2-1) who is also the current lightweight Olympic champion from the Ukraine and Zou Shiming (5-0), still the light flyweight Olympic champion from China.
Vasyl Lomachenko will defend his title against a Thai boxer by the name of Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo who brings a record of 52 professional wins and 1 loss. The Ukranian is a double Olympic champion and triple World Amateur champion and now holds the WBO featherweight title. His pro record consists of two wins and one loss and it is quite unusual for a champion. Most boxers would still be doing 4 and 6 round fights and would not even dream of fighting for world titles on their second and third fight.
Lomachenko even demanded a title fight on his debut and he got his wish on his second outing but fell short against Orlando Salido who lost the title on the scales. He delivered as promised on his third attempt vs. a capable Gary Russel, Jr. His opponent on Saturday is little known outside Thailand and the only way for him to make fans around the world try to remember and pronounce his name is to pull off a huge upset. With a colorful name like that he would be a nightmare not only to Lomachenko and his team but to commentators and announcers alike.
Zou Shiiming holds the WBO International Flyweight title and he is a double Olympic champion as well. He even has three consecutive Olympic medals, bronze from 2004 and gold from 2008 and 2012 Sumer Olympics. He won a minor title on his 4th outing as a pro and will fight Kwanpichit Onesongchaigym (27-0-2) from Thailand in a WBO Flyweight eliminator. The Chinese talent is regarded as a great pay-per-view prospect in China and the Chinese pay-per-view market is expected to loom and surpass the rest of the world in terms of turnover and revenue.
An Olympic title is no guarantee for a seamless professional progress but it is a good start and a solid foundation. Both Olympic stars should be able to shine against their experienced but little known “stay busy” opponents. Having only 3 and 5 pro bouts respectively, the Olympian prize fighters can afford the occasional “cruising”, they need the experience at least on paper.
