While Sonny Bill Williams is one of the biggest names in rugby history, Runqi Zhou didn’t even know who the legendary World Cup winner was when they first met.
Regardless, the New Zealander was still pretty impressed when he sat down to watch the Chinese boxer showcase his talent inside the ring.
Sonny Bill Williams watched Runqi Zhou from ringside
Blessed with a relentless engine and palpable charisma, Runqi Zhou is making a name for himself in the sport of boxing.
Utilizing the old school cross-guard style, made famous by the legendary, Joe Frazier, ‘Fist of Fury’ is demolishing his opponents, most recently producing a spectacular display against Tony Ingram on the undercard of Jai Opetaia vs David Nyika.
Blessed with an unshakeable will to achieve, Zhou decided to learn English and move to Australia with his wife to pursue his love of fighting.
The larger-than-life personality, who in his spare time enjoys immersing himself in wildlife, by feeding his trainer’s cows and sheep, has settled right into training, teaming up with former world champions Jason Moloney and Andrew Moloney to enhance his skills.
In one of his most significant victories to date, the sportsman traveled to Nadi, Fiji, where he defeated Ubaydullah Haider to win the IBO Asia Pacific Featherweight Title.
The spectacular win blew Sonny Bill Williams away, with the Auckland athlete particularly taking note of the warrior’s ferocious work rate.
In an exclusive interview with Bloody Knockout, Zhou explained: “I’d never encountered him before. I didn’t know he was a celebrity before the fight.
“After beating Haider in Fiji, Sonny Bill Williams spoke to me and said, ‘Did you feel really tired during the fight’? I said, ‘No, I don’t feel any tiredness’.
“Then, he said, ‘Do you ever feel tired’? And I said, ‘Never’.
Jason Moloney and Andrew Moloney have become ‘big brothers’ to Runqi Zhou
With dreams of becoming a Chinese boxing legend, Zhou is working with the best of the best, sparring with Jason Moloney and Andrew Moloney, who’ve proven themselves as two of the greatest fighters on the planet.
However, not only is the Zhengzhou-born fighter benefiting from the rounds in the gym, but also the way the former world champions have made him a part of their boxing family.
The 24-year-old beamed: “Jason and Andrew haven’t just welcomed me into training, they’re more than great team members; they’re like big brothers.
“They support me in my life and in my training. I have seen they are very solid fighters, they have their own styles. It’s great to see and train with them.”
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