As of his capture of the WBC minimumweight title in 2012, he became the first ever world champion in Western boxing to be produced by "The Middle Kingdom", with its population in excess of 18% of the world's total. Just let that...marinade for a second, like a nice General Tso's glaze, all over your ...um, chicken. This sport as we know it had been codified 145 years earlier by the ninth Marquess of Queensberry's standardized rules, but it took until the year Carly Rae Jepsen went to #1 before we had anyone from the PRC (or the Imperial Qing Dynasty before it) hold a version of a world title, even with all the ABC fracturing in the last half-century making it easier than ever to get a slice of the big scallion pie. The unlikeliest imaginable candidate for a breakthrough, Xiong grew up in Wénshān Prefecture, and is ethnically one hundred percent Hmong (a culturally distinct, mostly agriculturally-based minority in China outnumbered by the dominant Han peoples by about 135:1, also the fourth-largest ethnic minority in Vietnam) . He was dirt-poor, as were his farmer parents, and worked menial backbreaking jobs in coal mines and on banana plantations. He not only didn't have an extensive amateur career - he didn't have one period. His amateur career was roughhousing, untrained, in melees with fellow workers anytime the frustration of the upwardly immobile and natural tensions resulting from overcrowded spaces reached a fever pitch. He didn't even insert his fist into a boxing glove until he was 22 years old. Within just a few years, compiling a 12-1-1 (8) against mostly domestic opposition, he positioned himself for his first stab at making history. Japanese national hero Daisuke Naito put up his green belt at flyweight - yes, two divisions north of Xiong's stomping grounds at 105, in which he was already used to being the smallest player on the field at 4'11". Xiong incredibly managed to give Naito hell, dropping him in the 6th and coming bitterly close to upsetting him (a couple of perhaps questionable point deductions on Xiong for headbutts didn't impact the outcome, but without them it would have been a razor-thin SD with Naito retaining by a mere point or two). Like most international observers, this was the moment Xiong first appeared on my radar. I was hooked instantly. How do you not root for this kid, who practically qualified for dwarfism, and fighting his ass off against relative giants who themselves are several inches shorter and weigh 2-3 stone less than average men? He didn't have speed nor power in abundance. His technique was the best he could manage without any world class sparring or coaching available. He was an overachiever getting by on sheer desire and perspicacious instinct. With a tight compact guard and intense but intelligent aggression it was no great stretch for boxing media of the day to christen him "The Little Chinese Tyson" (although his more dignified or in any event preferred nickname at home was "The Little Bear"), which added to his curious appeal. So naturally I was thrilled at the sequence of events that blossomed from Kazuto Ioka vacating his WBC title at straw. I tipped Xiong to defeat Redendiz, and was even guardedly optimistic about his first defense: The reign of the diminutive Cinderella Man would end after two defenses, with Oswaldo Novoa stopping him in 5. He would go 5-3 in the next four years, including a protracted "will they or won't they" dance with Thammanoon Niyomtrong aka Knockout CP Freshmart as his mandatory challenger before they got around to clashing, last July. Niyomtrong - an elite smack in his prime and eight years Xiong's junior - as expected, took a comfortable decision, effectively putting an end to Xiong's days in the world title picture. He is yet to retire officially AFAIK, with his name still included on BoxRec's active minimumweight roster and in the world rankings (WBC #15, WBA #11, and WBO #12) but I wouldn't count on him getting another shot - and honestly wouldn't like to see it. He's only going to get hurt at this point. His record against various nationalities: 10-0-1 (7) against fellow Chinese 4-1 (1) against Filipinos, including his best career victory over Denver Cuello, losing only to Julius Alcos. 2-1 against Mexicans, including his world title capture vs. Javier Martínez Resendiz, losing only against Oswaldo Novoa. 3-3 against Japanese. 0-1 against South Africans, losing to Hekkie Budler. 6-1 (4) against Thais. 1-0 (1) against South Koreans. 1-0 (1) against Indonesians. 0-1 against Colombians, losing to José Antonio Jiménez. Not too shabby for a Hmong unskilled laborer born into poverty and getting a very late (and baptism-via-fire) start in the way of the fist.
