Zou must polish style, says trainer
In his pro debut, China's Olympic champ defeats Valenzuela on points, but trainer says his star potential is not shining through yet
China's golden boy Zou Shiming must change his style and iron out some kinks in his game if he is going to be more effective as a professional fighter.
That's the verdict of Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, who said the two-time Olympic champion would gradually become a better fighter.
"We are working on changing his style a bit," said Roach, who saw his Chinese protégé score a unanimous points victory over tough Mexican Eleazar Valenzuela on his professional debut at the CotaiArena in Macau on Saturday night.
"He won it on points, and that doesn't really cut it in the professional game. People want to see knockouts. That's why [Manny] Pacquiao was so successful, because he knocked all his guys out," said Roach, who also coaches the Filipino superstar.
Zou dominated the four-round contest before a sell-out crowd, but was unable to knock down or knock out his opponent. But Roach was adamant that Zou could develop into a knockout artist.