Zou Shiming's victorious overseas debut, which came in a relatively lackluster bout on Saturday, could help pave the way for Chinese boxers to join the sport's international mainstream.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist scored a 10-round unanimous decision over 19-year-old Jozsef Ajtai of Hungary at Madison Square Garden in New York, lifting his career record to 8-1 since he turned pro after the London Games in 2012.

The 35-year-old flyweight's first overseas bout as a pro attracted tens of millions of Chinese fans watching live at home on TV and via online streaming platforms.

Zou said he felt blessed after winning at the iconic New York venue, which is where his idol, Muhammad Ali, fought several times. A video tribute to the late Ali was played later in the evening.

"It's definitely different from all my previous fights, as I fought on the center stage that every pro boxer dreams of," said Zou, who has risen to prominence from a village in Guizhou province. "I hope I can prove that a Chinese can succeed on the highest stage of pro boxing. I also want to honor my idol Ali with this victory."

Ali, the former three-time heavyweight champion, died on June 3 in Arizona due to complications from Parkinson's disease. He was 74.

Although Zou's fight on Saturday was cheered by a group of more than 100 Chinese fans, it was far from an exciting battle, due to his opponent's defensive style, which saw Ajtai saunter around the ring to avoid clinches with Zou.

"I thought after warming up in the first round that he would attack," Zou said. "But until the 10th round, it seemed like his aim was not victory but finishing the fight, that's all."

"This was my first fight in the US, and it gave me a chance to fight for the golden belt in a bout at the end of this year, which is absolutely the most important for me," Zou said

"I was expecting maybe a tough fight," Zou's Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach said afterward. "He (Ajtai) just wanted to survive He never tried to win the fight.

"When guys try to survive like that, it makes for a little more boring fight," Roach said, adding that the promoters expected an "action packed fight".

"He (Ajtai) came over and shook my hand and wanted to take a picture of me (after the fight). He didn't win one round and was happy as can be."

Roach said Zou will likely next challenge WBA and WBO flyweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada of Mexico.

Zou, is signed to Las Vegas-based Top Rank, said he hopes to inspire Chinese to fight for world titles.

Li Sheng, Zou's agent and the CEO of Shanghai-based Sports Entertainment Content Activation, said that the victory "amplified the ultimate ambition of Chinese boxing, which is to fight and win at the highest stage in pro boxing like Pacquiao did for the Asians".

Niu Yue contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at williamhennelly@chinadailyusa.com and sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn