Freddie Roach, Bob Arum Have High Hopes For Rex Tso

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Popular Rex Tso of Hong Kong, China has earned a shot at the WBA super flyweight title currently held by Japan’s Kohei Kono following Tso’s close but exciting victory over game Filipino Michael Enriquez in Macao on Saturday.
 
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum who saw his hopes of a first world title for two time Olympic gold medalist Zou Shiming vanish when he lost to Thai IBF  champion  Amnat Ruenroeng in a lackluster title bout turned to Tso to give him a title shot after what Arum described as “wonderful display.”
 
Tso will become the first Hong Kong boxer to fight or a world title with the fight scheduled for July18 at the Cotai Arena in Macau.
 
Celebrated trainer Freddie Roach who watched Tso said he would love to work with Tso who he said has “got real potential. He is a good young fighter. It was fun to watch. I enjoyed that fight. They both dug down really deep.”
 
Tso was formerly trained by Aljoe Jaro who helped hone his skills and enhanced his punching power to score a number of impressive wins which increased his popularity. But Aljoe Jaro told us he quit because Tso’s manager was a problem.
 
Aljoe Jaro was happy that he and his brother Francisco handled Thai IBF flyweight champion Amnat Ruennroeng who beat Roach-trained two-time Chinese Olympic gold medalist on Saturday.
 
Jaro said Tso had a hard time against the smaller Filipino Enriquez who, if not for a knockdown in the dying seconds of the third round could have won.
 
In a post fight interview Tso said “when people think of Hong Kong, I don’t want them to just think of Bruce Lee. I want them to think of Rex Tso.”

Roach told reporters - "I like Rex a lot though. We talked about bringing him to the Wildcard [Gym] more than once but it just hasn't happened yet, but I would love to work with Rex, he's a good prospect. He [Tso] does have a future in boxing. He has a good following in Hong Kong.

"At one time, I wanted him to fight Shiming. But then, they told me, 'Freddie, we don't do that over here' because it is not necessary. It's not like in America when things happen quickly. They [Zou and Tso] are friendly with each other and they are trying to help each other."

"Shiming is the better of the two. He has more experience. But Rex is a very good prospect and he looks really good in his fights and I like the other fighter, K.K. [Ng Kuok Kun, the Macau Kid]. I want to work with him because I see a lot of potential in him. I think he can go places. There are a couple of new guys on the scene, too."