That's more like it: Zou Shiming delivers the performance his fans have been waiting for

What a difference four months make.

China’s Zou Shiming finally won the respect of his peers with a commanding, unanimous decision in his latest venture in the professional ranks.

The two-time Olympic gold medallist looked a different fighter from the one who struggled, chopped and fumbled his way to his unimpressive decision against Mexican kid Jesus Ortega in Fists of Gold II in July.

In front of the biggest crowd of his career and the second HBO live telecast at the Cotai Arena in Macau on Sunday morning, the 32-year-old mainlander outclassed Mexico’s Juan “Polly” Toscano, winning the six-round contest with a performance his handlers, promoters and even his country had been waiting for.

The mainlander stretched his victories to three, but is still looking for his first knockout or TKO success.

Still, the crowd must have been amazed by Zou’s improvement. In July, he was running on empty and looked a weary, almost beaten fighter. On Sunday, he certainly looked a winner all the way. He bobbed and weaved and threw effective combinations for the first time.