Zhilei Zhang achieved the most significant victory of his career on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, possibly marking the end of former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder‘s stint. The 41-year-old Zhang from China landed a well-timed counter right hook that left Wilder dazed. Zhang (27-2-1, 21 KOs) swiftly followed up with another right hand that knocked the American down. Although Wilder managed to stand up before the count of 10, the referee judiciously called off the fight at 1:51 of Round 5 due to Wilder’s unstable legs.
Zhang respected Wilder’s reputation as one of history’s most potent heavyweight punchers and admitted that Wilder’s punches were powerful. However, Zhang successfully neutralized Wilder’s right hand. Wilder has lost four of his last five fights, including a decision defeat to Joseph Parker in December and two losses to Tyson Fury. Prior to the fight, Wilder had hinted that a loss could signal his farewell from boxing.
Despite suffering a decision defeat to Parker, Zhang, who floored Parker twice in March but still lost, is now back on his journey towards the championship. The current champion is Oleksandr Usyk, who defeated Fury last month in Riyadh for the undisputed championship.
In Saturday’s fight, Zhang had a significant weight advantage over Wilder, outweighing him by 68.2 pounds. He used this size advantage to dominate Wilder and press him against the ropes. In the fifth round, Zhang began to deploy his best weapon, leading to the finish. The victory completed a clean sweep for Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions, which was competing against rival U.K. promoter Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing in a unique 5 vs. 5 team concept. After Zhang’s TKO win, Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, presented Warren with a $3 million check.
ZHILEI ZHANG KNOCKS OUT WILDER IN THE 5th ROUND AND IT’S ALL OVER 😱#QueensberryVsMatchroom | Live NOW | Live on DAZN: Click link in bio to buy.#5vs5 | #RiyadhSeason | @Turki_alalshikh pic.twitter.com/Q9GiNZ6kNg
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) June 2, 2024
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