.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-parser-output .citation:target ^Note 1 For WBO interim heavyweight title ^Note 2 For vacant WBC interim lightweight title ^Note 3 For Commonwealth Boxing Council and WBC International Silver lightweight titles ^Note 4 For British middleweight title
Round 6: Dubois takes the lead again but he’s more cautious now. Damage piling up for both men. Night right hand over the top from Dubois but Hrgovic rolls it and lands a sharp uppercut against the ropes as Dubois stepped in.
An unusual training technique? Sure, but Zhang is not your usual fighter. Like, what is a two-time Chinese Olympic heavyweight doing in suburban Jersey? For that you have to go to Terry and Tommy Lane, cofounders of Lane Brothers Boxing. In 2009 the Chinese national boxing team began making sporadic trips to the U.S. for training camps. Eventually the Lanes, then small-time promoters in Nevada, began hearing chatter about some of the talent, including Zhang, who punched his way to a silver medal at the ’08 Beijing Games. The Lanes linked up with Dino Duva, a veteran U.S. promoter who had built some relationships in China. Together, the trio formed Dynasty Boxing, negotiating with the Chinese government to turn a handful of fighters pro, including Zhang, and bring them to the United States. Duva, the former president of Main Events, was based in New Jersey. So, in ’14, Zhang went there.
As if zhilei zhang coach Zhang wasn’t already intimidating—as if being 6' 6" with Thanos-like fists didn’t make your knees rattle, as if back-to-back knockout wins last year over granite-chinned Brit Joe Joyce weren’t enough—on this particular mid-November afternoon, inside a nondescript gun range in northern New Jersey, Zhang has his fingers wrapped around a Sig Sauer P365 XL. Guns, Zhang insists, were never his thing. His trainer, Shaun George, introduced him to recreational shooting a few years ago; Kurt Li, his co-manager, translator and, it turned out, part-time range safety officer, showed him the ropes. The first time he pulled a trigger, his hands trembled.
The primary financial allure for both fighters lies in the lucrative pay-per-view (PPV) incentives included in their contracts. If the event surpasses 500,000 PPV buys, Wilder stands to gain an additional $5 million, while Zhang could earn an extra $2.5 million. Conversely, if the pair are not offered a PPV bonus, their guaranteed purses will be higher. The Saudi General Entertainment Authority has not revealed its pay model; however, boxers are benefiting from higher purses fighting in the oil-rich nation.
"My humble opinion is that it was due to the inactivity that Deontay Wilder was performing that way. He fought one round for almost two years which is very inactive and that led to his timing being off," said Zhang, who is managed by Terry and Tom Lane, and promoted by Queensberry Promotions.
Apart from the belated release from the Chinese boxing authorities and the promotional companies' fiasco, Zhang's peak years were also squandered because of visa troubles as a Chinese citizen which led to the cancellation of several bouts. While he stuck outside the U.S., his form dropped as he could not train as he usually did.
Joyce (15-1, 14 KOs) stepped into the ring with a burgeoning reputation on the back of his big wins over Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker and was viewed by many as the good news story that a glamour division in stasis required.
Zhang’s professional journey began in August 2014, marking over nine years of dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence. With 25 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw under his belt, he has proven his mettle time and again. What truly sets him apart is his remarkable knockout ratio of 80%, having stopped 20 of his opponents in their tracks. This statistic showcases his power and ability to end fights decisively.
In 2007 behaalde Zhang de bronzen medaille op de wereldkampioenschappen in Chicago. Het jaar daarop behaalde hij de zilveren medaille op de Olympische Spelen in Peking. Hier werd hij in de finale verslagen door Roberto Cammarelle. In 2009 behaalde hij de bronzen medaille op de wereldkampioenschappen 2009 in Milaan. Zhang kwalificeerde zich voor de Olympische Spelen 2012, maar werd in de kwartfinales op punten verslagen door de toekomstige wereldkampioen zwaargewicht Anthony Joshua.
Zhang's slow rise to prominence was also contributed to the debacle that saw his first and second promotional companies go out of business in 2014 and 2020 respectively and the legal chaos that followed.
W 2003 na mistrzostwach świata w boksie amatorskim w Bangkoku przegrał już w pierwszej walce z Polakiem Grzegorzem Kiełsą w stosunku 22–8. Dwa lata później na mistrzostwach świata w chińskim Mianyang wygrał pierwszą walkę z Vüqarem Alakbarovem, jednak w następnym pojedynku uległ późniejszemu złotemu medaliście, Kubańczykowi Odlanierowi Solísowi .
8:57pm BST/4:57pm ET: Dovbyshchenko has not just gone one round with the young wrecking machine, he’s managed two. Itauma opened up by firing home a thudding southpaw left. Dovbyshchenko rocked back on heels a couple of times but his ability to take a shot meant we were treated to a glimpse of Itauma’s repertoire. Lovely variety, sharp reflexes and he goes to the body particularly viciously. He’s even taken a shot to two back and appears to have a slight graze on the bridge of his nose. Still, this is brutal one-way traffic. Dovbyshchenko just waved Itauma in after a pair of clattering head shots, in the third which is entirely mad, but he’s winning friends here.