Deontay Wilder vs Zhilei Zhang (Round 1)
Extremely tight round that one, both fighters feeling each other out.
The judges could score that any one of three ways.
What is noticeable immediately is the size difference between these two – two of Wilder’s legs is like one of Zhang’s.
On their way
Zhilei Zhang is in the ring and in all gold, he comes out to 80s classic Eye of the Tiger – with a little bit of Chinese added for good measure.
Deontay Wilder, never one to miss an opportunity for a decent ring-walk, enters the ring with black shorts, some kind of custom vest and a sparkly face mask.
Deontay Wilder vs Zhilei Zhang NEXT
Main event of the evening coming next and another 50/50 fight.
Both men are coming off big losses and find themselves at crossroads in their careers.
Wilder was well beaten by Joseph Parker after three years out and many people are questioning if he can still do it at the top level.
Parker also beat Zhang in his last fight but that was a lot closer, with Zhang sending the New Zealander to the canvas a couple of times.
One potential X-factor is that Zhang will enter the ring 70 POUNDS heavier (that’s five stone in old money).
Dubois vs AJ?
Well what next for Dubois after a performance like that?
It’s a complicated one, to put it mildly. That fight was for the right to fight for the IBF title next, a belt which is currently held by Oleksandr Usyk.
However, the undisputed champ may be stripped of that belt while he chases a rematch with Tyson Fury.
That means Dubois might see his belt upgraded to world champion status – without fighting – or could open the door to a fight with Anthony Joshua, in September.
However, one spanner in the works is Deontay Wilder.
Turki Alalshikh is apparently desperate to see Wilder vs Joshua next and that may stop the Dubois vs AJ train.
‘No retreat, no surrender’
Speaking after the fight, Dubois said: “No retreat, no surrender. I had to do whatever it took, needed to come through the fire and I did that tonight.
“I needed that support from Frank Warren and my dad, they’ve been there the whole time and we did it.”
Asked about the 5v5, Dubois added: “We’re the kings, we’re the daddies!”
Queensberry 8 Matchroom 0
It’s been an absolute whitewash in the 5v5 so far – four wins out of four for Frank Warren over Eddie Hearn.
Then you add in TKO wins for Daniel Dubois and Hamzah Sheeraz (who also earned extra points as the team captain) and it’s turned out to be a very poor night for Hearn.
Remember, not only has he seen four of his fighters lose, but Hearn’s also lost the £3MILLION bet with longtime rival Warren.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
