On April 13, Xu Can warmed up before training.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Liu Ranyang

　　Chinanews client, Beijing, December 28 (Wang Hao) If it were not for the sudden outbreak of new coronary pneumonia, 2020 may be the most critical year in Xu Can's career.

As China's only current world champion, he originally planned to complete the featherweight united battle this year.

　　Less than 10 days before the end of 2020, Xu Can accepted an exclusive interview with a reporter from Chinanews.com and recalled an extraordinary year for him.

Haven't played a game for almost 400 days

　　In January 2019, Xu Can won the WBA Featherweight World Championship in the United States and became China's third world champion.

In that year, he successfully defended twice and kept the gold belt in China.

On the evening of January 26, 2019 local time, Chinese professional boxer Xu Can won the World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight champion gold belt at Toyota Center Stadium in Houston, USA.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Zeng Jingning

　　In March of this year, Xu Can’s team announced that they would have a united battle with IBF featherweight boxing champion Warrington. The venue will be Warrington’s home stadium, Leeds, England. The winner will have WBA, IBF and "Ring" magazine. The three featherweight champion gold belts.

In the Chinese professional boxing world, there has never been a match with such a high gold content.

　　But with the spread of the epidemic on a global scale, the united war originally scheduled for the summer had to be postponed.

In fact, at the beginning of the outbreak, Xu Can was mentally prepared for the postponement of the game.

But in the days when there was no competition for a long time, his mentality also fluctuated.

　　"I've been confused, I don't know how long to wait, because I have been waiting from the beginning of the year until now. Agents, promoters, and coaches sometimes tell me when they might have a match, they start to prepare, and then suddenly say (competition). Can't hold) It may take a while."

　　After repeating this a few times, Xu Can himself will feel irritable.

In all, he hasn't played a formal game for almost 400 days.

For a boxer whose career is on the rise, more than a year of stagnation has a great impact.

On April 13, Xu Can was training.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Liu Ranyang

　　Talking about the timetable for the united war, he smiled and said: "It can't be said that it is far away, of course, there is no time limit." Although the two teams have discussed the venues of Singapore and Macau, the opponents are reluctant to leave the British competition. Can only give up.

　　After becoming the WBA featherweight boxing champion, Xu Can was selected as the five-star boxing champion by the well-known boxing website BOXREC in the industry.

In the time when there was no competition, he dropped half a star. Xu Can seemed a little bit "aggrieved" when talking about this.

"Still go to school well"

　　In July, Xu Can posted a Weibo stating that someone told him in a private message that he wanted to drop out of school and boxing, but Xu Can thinks that it is best not to make this decision lightly, because if he fails to make a name or is injured, his future life may be more difficult. .

Screenshot of Weibo.

　　From his own experience, he believes that learning boxing is a very risky thing.

"There are only three or four games a year for playing games. In the early stage, the appearance fee is not high." During the interview, Xu Can said: "Without reputation, there is no money."

　　This last sentence was also used in his speech on the 23rd. At the ECOTIME annual sports meeting held that day, he took the stage to share his short video management experience with everyone.

He is not the best eloquent among all the sports players, but he is fluent in expression, humorous, and has his own characteristics.

　　The last time the reporter interviewed Xu Can was in May last year. More than a year has passed. From the perspective of bystanders, he seems to be more of a "boxing champion".

　　At that time, Xu Can once said, "I don't want to be a star", but now he doesn't seem to be so "twisting", no longer like the stunned young man who first broke into the boxing ring, but he seems more comfortable.

Xu Can at the ECOTIME Sports Annual Meeting.

Photo courtesy of the organizer.

　　During this year, he was in the boxing ring and saw that too many people had to give up their dream of being a professional boxer because of practical reasons.

　　"I know that many professional players in the circle have retired and become coaches because there is really no competition. Some even changed careers and went to work. Of course, some people are practicing boxing while working."

United war must be fought

　　In the days when there is no competition, Xu Can's main task is training.

But the trouble caused by the epidemic is far more than the cancellation of the game. Xu Can’s coaching team has two Filipinos who were unable to return to the team due to the epidemic, which has a significant impact on his training.

　　Xu Can said that he is currently "maintaining his best condition as much as possible."

On April 13, Xu Can and teammate Zhang Fangyong were training.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Liu Ranyang

　　Without regular testing of the game, he is more cautious about whether his technology has improved.

"Technology can only be said to have changed, and I feel that the tactical system is still a certain change from before. Because there is no game, it can't be seen, and it cannot be tested.

　　Looking back on more than a year of time, he also sighed with emotion: "It can only be said that it was a boil. The boxing event was originally boiled out. Boxing, including all aspects of technology, takes time to settle, and the time required must be very long. ."

　　"You can survive loneliness, boredom, and time before you can achieve results."

　　However, although it is completely uncertain when a united war will be launched, Xu Can said that his goal has never changed.

"It's a united war, I have to fight, after all, after waiting for a year, just wait for this game, my next goal is united war!"

On the evening of May 26, 2019, in the WBA World Champion Championship held in Fuzhou, Jiangxi Province, Xu Can defeated the Japanese boxer Hayabusa Kubo in the 6th round with a technical knockout (TKO) and successfully defended the WBA World Champion Golden Belt After Xiong Chaozhong, he also became the second boxer in China to successfully defend the gold belt of the world professional boxing champion.

The picture shows Xu Can holding a fist to celebrate.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Liu Zhankun

　　2020 is a difficult year for many people.

But as China's only current boxing champion, Xu Can was also affected so much, it is still somewhat unexpected.

　　Compared with ordinary people who have basically returned to normal life and work rhythm, he is still waiting for the long-awaited game. Despite this, his goal has not changed and his training has not slackened.

　　I hope Xu Can can usher in a united war as soon as possible, and other people who encounter difficulties can usher in the next spring as soon as possible after the severe winter.

(Finish)