Zhilei Zhang re-announced himself as a threat to the heavyweight throne with a knockout win over Deontay Wilder, with there being a growing feeling that this could have been Wilder’s final appearance in the ring. With that in mind, Zhang made his feelings on those rumours clear in a post-fight message.
Zhang seemed to be on a collision course to the world titles when he twice knocked out Joe Joyce during 2023, cracking the granite chin of the ‘Juggernaut’ with back-to-back career best performances and earning the both WBO interim title and mandatory challenger position in the process.
However, Joseph Parker derailed the plans of the 41-year-old with a majority-decision victory back in March, assuming his place as the WBO mandatory challenger.
‘Big Bang’ Zhang appeared to be back to square one but accepted a showdown with Deontay Wilder where the winner would be thrust into title contention and the loser would be left out in the cold and possibly forced to retire.
The Chinese heavyweight sensation swarmed Wilder from the get-go with relentless pressure and utilized his near 70-pound weight advantage to stand in front of ‘The Bronze Bomber’ and close the distance effectively to take the sting out of his trademark right-hand, before wobbling the American in the fifth and closing the show with a prodigious right-hook whilst Wilder’s back was turned.
With four losses in his last five contests, many believe that this is the end of the road for the former WBC heavyweight champion but on social media, Zhang claimed that he could still feel the power of his opponent and declared that fans should not ‘write him off just yet’.
“Goodbye the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It’s always been a pleasure fighting here. The world is watching the Kingdom becoming the centre of boxing now. Thank you to my dance partner @bronzebomber. I always respect you as a man, a father and a warrior.
“I felt your power Saturday night, the power that can knock anyone out clean. I’m happy we both came out the ring healthy and safe. Go back to your family and enjoy your time.
“Boxing is great with the Bronze Bomber. Don’t write him off just yet. Thank you to my team. Thank you @queensberrypromotions @matchroomboxing for working together for this historical event. Special thank you to @turkialalshik, the man who makes things happen. Can’t wait to get back in the ring again.”
Zhang now finds himself in a curious position as arguably the best heavyweight to not be in line for a shot at the world titles. Instead, a rematch with Joseph Parker and a chance of vengeance would likely be his favoured route, but whether the Kiwi would accept that challenge is another question.
Meanwhile, Deontay Wilder has almost certainly lost the opportunity to face long-term rival Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou would probably be the only pay-per-view worthy opponent that he would be favoured to beat – but the Cameroonian is set to debut in the PFL later this year.
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