Deontay Wilder’s trainer Malik Scott has looked ahead to the heavily-rumoured but yet to be announced clash between his fighter and Zhilei ‘Big Bang’ Zhang, revealing his confidence in Wilder despite a poor performance on his last outing.
Wilder was defeated in a non-title fight for the first time during his 47-bout-long career, being comfortably outpointed by a resurgent Joseph Parker, costing Wilder a shot at Anthony Joshua and leading to calls for ‘The Bronze Bomber’ to hang up the gloves.
Although around 10 weeks later and Parker was at it again, pulling off another upset win to take Zhang’s WBO interim heavyweight title.
Now it appears that Parker’s two scalps will meet one another on the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol undercard and Scott maintained his faith in Wilder’s abilities, in an interview with Instant Casinos.
“It’s a very dangerous fight, but at the same time a very winnable fight. After the performance we had last time we know the chips are stacked against us.
“We know what most people are thinking, but when Deontay is on, and he’s disciplined, and following game plans, he’s still the best heavyweight in the world to me. I don’t have less belief in him, it was just a bad night at the office, I’ve seen the best of them have those nights.
“Zhang is dangerous, but I’m very comfortable and happy with the fight because big Zhang is someone who makes you stay alert and makes you stay elusive, he’s a big man and he can punch but we know what we have to do to operate on him and do surgery on him, that’s what we are going to do.
It’s going to be a surgical performance. What I really like about the fight is how dangerous Zhang is, a very dangerous opponent and that’s going to make Deontay even better.”
An announcement for the Matchroom versus Queensbury undercard will made on April 15th, with Wilder-Zhang expected as a shock inclusion.