Promoter Eddie Hearn is banking on former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder doing a job on Zhilei Zhang on the 5v5 card on DAZN on June 1st in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Wilder still possesses the power and hand speed to win this fight, but if he gets nailed by one of the southpaw Zhang’s big left hands, it could be over for him. Zhang hits a lot harder than Tyson Fury, who twice stopped Wilder.
However, Zhang won’t resort to leaning on Wilder like Fury did in his two wins, and he likely won’t use rabbit punches to win as he did.
Loser May Face End of the Road
The two big knockout artists, Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs) and Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs) will be meeting in a 12-round contest this summer with a lot at stake. I think it’s safe to say the loser of the fight could see their careers over with.
Zhang, 40, and the 38-year-old Wilder are both coming off losses to Joseph Parker in lackluster performances where they failed to let their hands go against a guy who usually fails when fighting big punchers. Just by being timid and fighting hard, Wilder and Zhang lost.
Hearn’s Belief in Wilder
“His Excellency said for the wildcard pick, we could find the best fighter we could. I looked at the heavyweights available. I think this man has long been one of the most dangerous punchers in the division,” said promoter Eddie Hearn during today’s press conference for the 5v5, talking about Deontay Wilder taking on Zhilei Zhang.
“Coming off a defeat, I think he’s going to come back more dangerous than ever. When we spoke to Shelly [Finkel], the team, and Deontay, this was the obvious pick to make. Deontay Wilder against Zhilei Zhang is a massive heavyweight fight between two punchers.
“We’ll see what the future holds, but for one night only, we work together, and I believe this man [Deontay] will make a real statement and get back on the heavyweight scene and produce an epic performance in Riyadh.
Frank Warren Echoes the Stakes
“Deontay, his career is on the line, and the same with Zhilei,” said promoter Frank Warren. “This fight is a big match-up. The winner of this goes back to the top table. Everything is on the line. That’s the competition. That’s how competitive that fight is going to be.”
