In a fight between two knockout artists, Jie Zhang found home first, defeating former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder via KO in the fifth round.
Neither fighter looked particularly impressive, but it was a bad night for Wilder, who again looked tentative as commentators speculated that his career was nearing its end. Both fighters seemed to be well aware of each other’s power, but it was Zhang who found the house.
Zhang clearly hurt Wilder in the second round, but was unable to finish it off. The decision came in surprising fashion when a misplaced right hook left Wilder spinning and opened up for a brutal blow to the face from his opponent.
And it was.
It’s a must-win matchup for both fighters, and it leaves Wilder in an unbelievable position. The former WBC champion has now lost four of his last five bouts and hasn’t looked the same since his loss to Tyson Fury. He has openly discussed retirement in the run-up to this fight, which is now very possible.
Meanwhile, Zhang Jo is alive after stumbling after two wins against Joyce. He lost to Joseph Parker by majority decision in March, but now at the age of 41 is coming off another big win.
Zhang’s win came as part of Queensberry’s victory in a 5v5 against Matchroom, winning $3 million in Riyadh. Here’s how everything went live:
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Result: Zhilei Zhang def. Deontay Wilder by KO at 1:51 of the 5th round
Deontay Wilder vs. Zeely Zhang Fight card full results
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Heavyweight: Zhili Zhang def. Deontay Wilder by KO at 1:51 of the 5th round
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Heavyweight: Daniel Dubois def. Filip Harkovic by TKO at 0:57 of the 8th round
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Light Heavyweight: Dimitri Bivol def. Malik Zinat by TKO at 2:06 of round 6
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Middleweight: Hamza Sheeras def. Austin Williams by TKO at 0:45 of round 11
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Featherweight: Nick Paul def. Ray Ford by split decision (115-113, 113-115, 115-113)
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Light heavyweight: Willie Hutchinson def. Craig Richards via unanimous decision (116-112, 117-111, 119-109)