Xu, Meng facing big challenges

Two of China's top ring generals are primed to expand their respective commands in a couple of boxing's most competitive divisions.

First up is WBA featherweight champ Xu Can (16-2, 2 KOs), who is making his first title defense on Sunday in his hometown of Fuzhou, Jiangxi province, taking on Japanese challenger and former WBA super bantamweight titleholder Shun Kubo (13-1, 9 KOs).

Then on June 1, unbeaten southpaw light heavyweight Meng "Cold Blood" Fanlong from Chifeng, Inner Mongolia (14-0, 9 KOs), will face Germany's Adam Deines (17-0, 8 KOs) in an IBF world title mandatory elimination bout in Macao.