Sunday Convo: Zhilei Zhang Delivers ‘The Big Bang’

In the second round, Zhang felt slightly more comfortable and applied pressure by cutting off the ring. When Zhang was able to get Wilder into a corner, he unloaded to the body and head. It was a clever tactic by Zhang as Wilder would not be able to get full extension on a right hand if he did land from that close range. Zhang then landed a check right hook from mid-range, which surprised Wilder. The punch speed would make Wilder think in there and hesitate with his left jab.

The third round was more of the same as Zhang threw his punches with plenty of caution, and Wilder appeared to be still looking for the perfect shot. At the end of the round, Wilder’s trainer, Malik Scott, pleaded with his fighter to be more active as he wasn’t doing enough. Wilder would come out in the fourth round and land his big right hand a few times, and when he did, Zhang looked buzzed. Zhang was able to weather the storm, but Wilder appeared to get the confidence he was missing back with the right hand, which had knocked out so many fighters in years past.

In the fifth round, Zhang landed that check right hook, and although he didn’t connect with his whole glove, enough of it caught Wilder and spun him around. It appeared Wilder was about to say something as he had his back turned, and then BAM, the right hook from Zhang, landed and instantaneously dropped Wilder. The way Wilder fell, the referee could have stopped the fight, but being a former world champion, he gave him the benefit of the doubt and allowed him to get up. Wilder would beat the count because he is a warrior, but when he tried to walk toward the referee, he stumbled, prompting the referee to stop the fight. Wilder was in no condition to continue, and the referee made the right call.

What Happens To Both Fighters After Saturday Night’s Queensberry vs. Matchroom 5v5 Event?

For Wilder, the hope is that he retires. During fight week, Wilder told the media that he would retire if he didn’t win. After Saturday night’s loss, he should look long and hard at his situation to see if he wants to keep doing it. Wilder has made a nice fortune in boxing, and there is no shame in hanging up the gloves at this point.

On the other hand, Zhang has options, such as the long-desired Anthony Joshua fight in September or a rematch with Joseph Parker or Daniel Dubois. At this point, Zhang should only take the big fights and avoid the more risk-than-reward fights against a guy like Agit Kabayel. Whatever Zhang does next, he will have even more eyeballs on him as he continues to grow as a star in China and amongst boxing fans worldwide.