Boxing in China had a harrowing start. In 1953, at a big competition in the northern city of Tianjin, a boxer died after a bout. Chinese sports authorities were unnerved, and in 1959, as China organized its first National Games, it dropped boxing from the lineup.

However, in December 1979, Deng invited Muhammad Ali to a compound housing China's top leaders. It was reported that Ali hugged Deng and they sat and talked.

Later, it was said that Deng sent a message that read "If we want to win friends, if we want to win respect, we have to win medals" and boxing was on its way to popularity.

In the 1980s, Chinese boxers began training again, even without punching bags or gloves. Sandbags were traditionally used instead.

Chinese boxers first competed internationally at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics.

It not was until the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics that Zou Shiming claimed China's first boxing medal. He eventually made it into the semifinals and won a bronze. This achievement was greeted with rapturous applause and Chinese reporters nicknamed him the Dark Horse at first because of his underdog status.

China's boxing performance improved dramatically at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. Zou won the gold medal this time, and another Chinese boxer also won a gold medal.

To bet on boxing, the bettor must simply choose the boxer he wishes to bet on and the amount he wishes to wager. Boxing normally use money line odds. A "minus sign" (-) preceding the number indicates a favorite. A "plus sign" (+) preceding the number indicates an underdog.