Doubts over the future of Chinese superstar Zou Shiming's career have sent social media into meltdown.

It emerged last week that the 36-year-old former WBO flyweight world champion could be forced to hang up his gloves because of severe eye problems.

According to the latest reports, the two-time Olympic light flyweight champion has multiple fractures of an eye socket, mild cataract, vitreous opacities (floaters or spots in his vision) and a suspected detached retina.

Zou has since been inundated with messages from well wishers, hoping their idol can continue in the ring.

"He was a world champion and I'm proud of him," wrote one fan, nicknamed Fortune Teller Nancy, on Weibo. "You will be the boxing king in my mind forever. No matter what happens I will always support you!"

The drama began to unfold when Zou complained that he might have lost the vision in his left eye after returning to Shanghai from Beijing, where he had attended the Laureus China Top Ten Sports Awards on Dec 21. He immediately sought treatment as soon as the plane landed.

The bombshell news soon spread on Weibo, with pictures showing Zou wearing dark glasses and being guided by his wife, Ran Yingying, upon touching down in Shanghai fueling concerns.

Another photo, taken by a flight passenger, showed Zou holding his left eye as a worried-looking Ran tended to him.

"I can't sleep. He will have a series of new check-ups in the morning. Today is the worst day for me," wrote Ran on Weibo at 3 o'clock in the morning after landing in Shanghai.

A Dec 24 Weibo post by Ran underlined the extent of her fears. "I don't want Christmas Eve, I just want my husband to be safe," she wrote.

Zou's left eye has been a problem since his amateur days when he complained of seeing double on his way to a second gold medal at the London 2012 Olympics. He also spent months out of the ring after taking a headbutt to the same eye against Thai fighter Kwanpichit Onesongchaigym in 2014.

Amid the messages of support on social media, some fans have taken the opportunity to criticize Zou, believing he should spend more time in the ring and less time in the media maelstrom of celebrity life.

The controversy comes after Zou lost his first world-title defense to Japan's Sho Kimura in July.

Zou has not fought since, but has been busy as a regular guest on TV shows and with his business activities.

A legal dispute between Zou and sports management agency SECA, his former promoter, has also attracted considerable media attention

shifutian@chinadaily.com.cn