But Zhang still faces a wait to get to Usyk as the WBO's No. 1 challenger. Usyk is expected to hold talks with Fury about a unification title fight, and IBF mandatory challenger Filip Hrgović is then next in line for a shot at Usyk.
A few minutes later in round three, Joyce was dropped face first for the full count of ten by Zhilei Zhang. The grim observation, the way he walked with his eyes as blank as rock on the way to the ring, was right.
Wilder vs. Zhang is an interesting fight, not just because it pits two knockout artists, but also because of what it means for the careers of each fighter. Wilder is 38 and Zhang is 41, meaning neither fighter has many bouts left before they hang up the gloves. Both fighters are also coming off of a loss, coincidentally both to former heavyweight champion Joseph Parker.
"His age is a non-issue because he hasn't been busy in the past two years," his trainer George says. "He is excited and motivated. He's better than he was four years ago. He has played catch-up with professional boxing. His age is not a factor."
China's Zhang, 41, connected with a perfectly timed counter right hook that spun Wilder in a daze. With Wilder defenseless, Zhang (27-2-1, 21 KOs) sprinted in and smashed him with another right hand that planted the American hard on the canvas.
"It was a good fight. I think I could have done better. I haven’t fought a southpaw for so long and credit to him because he’s a good fighter. I gave it my all. I think I could do better, but it’s just disappointing. I expected to win like I normally do. Thanks for all the support and congratulations.
"Craig Richards is one helluva fighter," said Hutchinson during his post-fight interview with DAZN. "I’m young, I’m hungry, I’m sexy, and I’m ready to take over the world. I want to become the WBC champion of the world.
Esa derrota, sumada a los problemas para encontrar rivales top, provocaron que Joe Joyce le llamase para pelear en abril de este año. Zhang tenía las apuestas en contra 10 a 1. El inglés iba a hacer la primera defensa del Mundial WBO Interino del peso pesado. Era claro favorito y se veía como un trámite, ya que el inglés quería ir contra Tyson Fury. Con ese cinturón interino habría presión por parte de WBO y podría darse.
Zhang isn’t sure where his size comes from. Both his parents were under 6 feet. His brother and sister—Zhang is the youngest of three—are as well. He’s heard stories about his great-grandfather being big but can’t say for certain. "Maybe," muses Zhang, "some kind of genetic mutation."
Round 5: Wilder lands two big rights that trouble Zhang somewhat. He's also warned for punching behind the head. HUGE RIGHT HAND SENDS WILDER STUMBLING INTO THE CORNER AND HE GOES DOWN. The ex-champ miraculously gets up but he is GONE! The fight is stopped with Wilder wobbly on his feet.
As if Zhilei 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.
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.
That right hook didn't come out of nowhere, however. It was set up from the opening bell. Joe Joyce claimed that he had worked on errors in this training camp, but when it came down to it, all of his changes seemed to boil down to "move the other way." And that is just not enough.
The heavyweight division is booming right now. Fury and Usyk put on a show in Saudi Arabia and the rematch should be one of the most anticipated fights of the year. Meanwhile, Joshua has looked strong in his four-fight win streak since losing back-to-back fights to Usyk.
Wilder is the best puncher the sport has seen since Mike Tyson and he has a strong argument for greatest puncher in the history of boxing. His lone win on the cards came against Bermane Stiverne as Wilder won the WBC heavyweight title.
At age seven, zhili zhang boxer and his father moved to downtown Shenqiu County for educational reasons. Zhang later attended Shenqiu's Huaidian Hui Town No.3 Middle School. His father enrolled him in canoe sprinting lessons in order for him to lose weight. The Zhoukou region was a hotbed of watersports in the 1990s, with Olympic rower Mu Suli, born the same year as Zhang, growing up in a different part of Zhoukou during the 1990s.
A few minutes later in round three, Joyce was dropped face first for the full count of ten by Zhilei Zhang. The grim observation, the way he walked with his eyes as blank as rock on the way to the ring, was right.Wilder vs. Zhang is an interesting fight, not just because it pits two knockout artists, but also because of what it means for the careers of each fighter. Wilder is 38 and Zhang is 41, meaning neither fighter has many bouts left before they hang up the gloves. Both fighters are also coming off of a loss, coincidentally both to former heavyweight champion Joseph Parker.
"His age is a non-issue because he hasn't been busy in the past two years," his trainer George says. "He is excited and motivated. He's better than he was four years ago. He has played catch-up with professional boxing. His age is not a factor."
China's Zhang, 41, connected with a perfectly timed counter right hook that spun Wilder in a daze. With Wilder defenseless, Zhang (27-2-1, 21 KOs) sprinted in and smashed him with another right hand that planted the American hard on the canvas.
"It was a good fight. I think I could have done better. I haven’t fought a southpaw for so long and credit to him because he’s a good fighter. I gave it my all. I think I could do better, but it’s just disappointing. I expected to win like I normally do. Thanks for all the support and congratulations.
"Craig Richards is one helluva fighter," said Hutchinson during his post-fight interview with DAZN. "I’m young, I’m hungry, I’m sexy, and I’m ready to take over the world. I want to become the WBC champion of the world.
Esa derrota, sumada a los problemas para encontrar rivales top, provocaron que Joe Joyce le llamase para pelear en abril de este año. Zhang tenía las apuestas en contra 10 a 1. El inglés iba a hacer la primera defensa del Mundial WBO Interino del peso pesado. Era claro favorito y se veía como un trámite, ya que el inglés quería ir contra Tyson Fury. Con ese cinturón interino habría presión por parte de WBO y podría darse.
Zhang isn’t sure where his size comes from. Both his parents were under 6 feet. His brother and sister—Zhang is the youngest of three—are as well. He’s heard stories about his great-grandfather being big but can’t say for certain. "Maybe," muses Zhang, "some kind of genetic mutation."
Round 5: Wilder lands two big rights that trouble Zhang somewhat. He's also warned for punching behind the head. HUGE RIGHT HAND SENDS WILDER STUMBLING INTO THE CORNER AND HE GOES DOWN. The ex-champ miraculously gets up but he is GONE! The fight is stopped with Wilder wobbly on his feet.
As if Zhilei 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.
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.
That right hook didn't come out of nowhere, however. It was set up from the opening bell. Joe Joyce claimed that he had worked on errors in this training camp, but when it came down to it, all of his changes seemed to boil down to "move the other way." And that is just not enough.
The heavyweight division is booming right now. Fury and Usyk put on a show in Saudi Arabia and the rematch should be one of the most anticipated fights of the year. Meanwhile, Joshua has looked strong in his four-fight win streak since losing back-to-back fights to Usyk.
Wilder is the best puncher the sport has seen since Mike Tyson and he has a strong argument for greatest puncher in the history of boxing. His lone win on the cards came against Bermane Stiverne as Wilder won the WBC heavyweight title.
At age seven, zhili zhang boxer and his father moved to downtown Shenqiu County for educational reasons. Zhang later attended Shenqiu's Huaidian Hui Town No.3 Middle School. His father enrolled him in canoe sprinting lessons in order for him to lose weight. The Zhoukou region was a hotbed of watersports in the 1990s, with Olympic rower Mu Suli, born the same year as Zhang, growing up in a different part of Zhoukou during the 1990s.