The future of Chinese boxing is looking brighter with the world title fight victory of the country's most celebrated boxer Zou Shiming last Saturday.

According to Asia Pacific Daily, Zou (9-1, 2 KO's) claimed the World Boxing Organization (WBO) flyweight belt after scoring a 12-round unanimous decision win over Prasitsak Phaprom of Thailand. China's two-time Olympic gold medalist became the first Chinese boxer to win a professional world title in boxing.

Like Us on Facebook

The 35-year-old native of Zunyi, Guizhou is considered to be paving the way for the sport of boxing to be appreciated and to be followed by the Chinese audience. Zou generated an impressive 6.5 million viewers on television in China and a remarkable 30 million live stream audience on his comeback fight back in January.

The famous Chinese boxer went on a short retirement after losing to Amnat Ruenroeng of Thailand in his first shot at a world title fight for the IBF flyweight crown in Macau in March 2015. Zou came back and fought Natan Santana Coutinho of Brazil in the boxing bout billed as "The Return of the King."

"Zou is one of the top three male athletes in China and is definitely the icon for boxing," SECA's president and CEO Li Sheng said, according to ESPN. "He has been responsible for reintroducing boxing to China and when he turned pro that's pretty much how pro boxing in China took off. There's a huge anticipation for his fights." 

Zou has won three successive Olympic medals: bronze in 2004 in Athens, Greece; gold in 2008 in Beijing, China; and gold at the 2012 London, United Kingdom Olympic Games. He also conquered the World Amateur Boxing Championships taking home the gold medals in the years 2005, 2007, and 2011.

TagsZou Shiming, world boxing organization, Olympic Games, "The Return of the King", Prasitsak Phaprom