Deontay Wilder’s trainer, Malik Scott, feels that his punching power could lead him to victory against Zhilei Zhang in their 12-round contest on June 1st in their fight on the 5v5 event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Malik believes that Zhang’s 6’6″, 290+ lb size means he’ll be slow and lazy and likely to be hit by Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs), one of the biggest punchers in the division.
What concerns Malik is the southpaw stance of Zhang, as Deontay hasn’t fought anyone with the kind of ability that he possesses.
Despite the two-time Chinese Olympian Zhang (26-2, 21 KOs) looking poor in his loss to crafty defensive fighter Joseph Parker last December, he has a lot of technical ability and is an excellent counterpuncher with crushing power in both hands.
If Zhang connects with anything against Deontay, it could be all over for the Bronze Bomber. That would be a career wrap for him, considering he’s hinting at retirement if he loses.
Zhang’s Size a Double-Edged Sword
“Zhilei Zhang is a big heavyweight that gets hit. That right there is enough for Deontay Wilder to have a chance at clipping him,” said trainer Malik Scott to the media about his belief that former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder could knockout Zhilei Zhang in their 5v5 competition on June 1st.
“You’re a big man, a bigger target. That means your defense is slower. I don’t care how dangerous you are. The bigger you are, the slower you move. You’re lazy sometimes, which gives your opposition a chance to hit you.”
In Zhang’s lost to Parker, it was all he could do to throw a small handful of punches each round, as he appeared poorly conditioned and carrying around too much weight. It was a mistake by Zhang to let his weight get so high in the 290 region, as he doesn’t possess the cardio to fight hard being that heavy. He was a lot better when he weighed in the 270s for his fights.
Zhang’s Southpaw Stance: A New Challenge
“You’re a bigger man and can’t get out of the way of the right hand too quick. Those are the things on the outside, but there’s a bunch of things that might go against us. Deontay has fought southpaws, but he never fought a southpaw like this concerning size, concerning that quick counters, and all of these things.”
Wilder will have to worry about not only Zhang’s powerful left hand, but also his right hook, which is very dangerous as well if he can hit him with it. With Zhang’s power, he only needs to land cleanly once to drop his opponents. If he puts Wilder on the canvas, the chances are he’ll finish him when he gets back up, if he gets back up.
“So, it’s a very dangerous fight, but I also believe the opportunity itself that presents to Deontay that takes him exactly where he’s trying to go for his next fight. Deontay has a killer instinct in him, and a stubbornness in him that I don’t believe can be cut off. I don’t believe he can change that,” said Malik.
