by Ronnie Nathanielsz

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum leaves for Beijing on Sunday where he will announce the signing of Olympic flyweight gold medalist Zou Shi Ming at a big press conference on Wednesday.

Arum told BoxingScene.com/Manila Standard that “our first card in Macau will be on April 6 and I’m putting together a couple of title fights while Zou will make his professional debut on the card.”

The Top Rank promoter said he plans to feature WBO/WBA champion Brian Viloria on the card against Juan Francisco Estrada who gave undefeated WBA light flyweight champion Roman “Chocalatito” Gonzalez a tremendous fight on November 17, 2012 on the same card where Viloria scored a 10th round TKO to win the WBA flyweight title from Mexico’s Hernan “Tyson” Marquez.

Arum said he expects an excellent fight because Estrada “is a very, very good fighter.”

The Top Rank promoter told us that WBO/Ring Magazine and WBC Diamond Belt champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire will face WBA champion and former Olympic gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux in April, either in Las Vegas or The Theater at Madison Square Garden “where we did so well” for the Mikey Garcia-Orlando Salido fight card.

The 31 year old Zou is recognized as the most outstanding amateur fighter from China having won three world titles in 2005, 2007 and 2011. He is a double Olympic gold medal winner, capturing the light flyweight title at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

The signing of Zou marks another major step in China’s entry into professional boxing. Last November 24 in Kunming, Xiong Zhao Zhong won the vacant World Boxing Council minimum weight title beating Javier Martinez Resendiz after mandatory challenger Denver Cuello of the Philippines stepped aside at the request of WBC president Don Jose Sulaiman and was paid $25,000 as a step aside fee.