Runqi Zhou made sure to temper his enthusiasm after his biggest win to date.
The rejuvenated featherweight came up big in an Oct. 26 ninth-round knockout of Ubayd Haider in Nadi, Fiii. Zhou (8-2-1, 3 KOs) applied relentless pressure before forcing the stoppage at 2:31 of the ninth round.
This second consecutive win for the 24-year-old Chinese boxer, after going 0-2-1 in a previous three fights. However, any thoughts of celebration were quelled when Haider (10-2, 6 KOs) was carried off on a stretcher. The 25-year-old Fijian southpaw remains under observation at Lautoka Aspen Hospital’s ICU department.
“Let’s send positive vibes for my Fijian boxer Ubayd Haider’s health and speedy recovery,” Zhou said afterwards. “I would like everyone to say a prayer.”
Meanwhile, the career of “Fist-of-Fury” is otherwise progressing with optimism for the first time in years.
The fight was Zhou’s second in less than two months after moving to Australia. The move was deemed necessary as his career had been stuck in a holding pattern since early last year. A pair of losses booked a run of eight to leave him winless for the second half of 2023.
Zhou has made changes across the board following a knockout loss to Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov last November in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He changed his residence, his ring name, management team and weight class.
Now campaigning at featherweight and led by Tony Tolj’s Dragon Fire Boxing, things are finally on an upward trajectory.
“Runqi Zhou now goes by the name ‘Fist of Fury’ and for good reason,” Tolj told The Ring. “He doesn’t stop punching. Runqi worked relentlessly on the body and paid dividends by getting the TKO in the 9th round.”
The victory came just seven weeks after Zhou defeated Richard Lockett in a six-round decision. The September 7 fight marked Zhou’s debut with Dragon Fire, whose current stable includes the Moloney twins—Jason and Andrew—and strawweight contender Alex Winwood.
“He’s only been in Australia and already had two fights,” Tolj noted. “Lockett had a win over world-ranked Jackson England and a narrow loss to WBO and IBF #1 Sam Goodman.
“The most remarkable thing about Fist of Fury is that he has no amateur fights and at 24 has a great future. I’m very excited about his future, he’s one to keep on the radar for sure.”
