ESPN is reporting that Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang are near a deal to fight one another on the Dmitry Bivol-Artur Beterbiev card.
The new capital of heavyweight boxing is about to deliver two more fights featuring prominent big men.
ESPN is reporting that former heavyweight titleholder Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang are nearing a deal to fight one another on the Dmitry Bivol-Artur Beterbiev card June 1 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Also, heavyweight contenders Filip Hrgovic and Daniel Dubois are close to an agreement to meet on the same show.
Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs) will be trying to reestablish himself as a top heavyweight after losing three of his last four fights, two knockouts against Tyson Fury in 2020 and 2021 and a one-sided decision against Joseph Parker in December.
The 38-year-old American’s only victory since 2019 was a first-round knockout of Robert Helenius in 2022.
Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs) built considerable momentum by stopping Joe Joyce twice last year but the 40-year-old from China crashed back to earth against Parker in March, losing a majority decision even though he decked Parker twice.
Hrgovic (17-0, 14 KOs) is a 2016 Olympic bronze medalist from Croatia. His biggest victory was a unanimous decision over Zhang in 2022.
Dubois (20-2, 19 KOs) nearly pulled off a huge upset when he floored titleholder Oleksandr Usyk with a body shot in August. However, the punch was ruled a low blow, Usyk was given time to recover and the champ stopped Dubois in the ninth round.
Dubois bounced back by stopping Jarrell Miller in the 10th round in December.
Bivol vs. Beterbiev, for the undisputed 175-pound championship, is one of the most anticipated fights in the sport.
Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs) is best known for defeating Canelo Alvarez in 2022 but he has a long track record of dominating top contenders. Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) also has overwhelmed opponents, none of whom have reached the final bell.
ESPN is reporting that Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang are near a deal to fight one another on the Dmitry Bivol-Artur Beterbiev card.
The new capital of heavyweight boxing is about to deliver two more fights featuring prominent big men.
ESPN is reporting that former heavyweight titleholder Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang are nearing a deal to fight one another on the Dmitry Bivol-Artur Beterbiev card June 1 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Also, heavyweight contenders Filip Hrgovic and Daniel Dubois are close to an agreement to meet on the same show.
Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs) will be trying to reestablish himself as a top heavyweight after losing three of his last four fights, two knockouts against Tyson Fury in 2020 and 2021 and a one-sided decision against Joseph Parker in December.
The 38-year-old American’s only victory since 2019 was a first-round knockout of Robert Helenius in 2022.
Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs) built considerable momentum by stopping Joe Joyce twice last year but the 40-year-old from China crashed back to earth against Parker in March, losing a majority decision even though he decked Parker twice.
Hrgovic (17-0, 14 KOs) is a 2016 Olympic bronze medalist from Croatia. His biggest victory was a unanimous decision over Zhang in 2022.
Dubois (20-2, 19 KOs) nearly pulled off a huge upset when he floored titleholder Oleksandr Usyk with a body shot in August. However, the punch was ruled a low blow, Usyk was given time to recover and the champ stopped Dubois in the ninth round.
Dubois bounced back by stopping Jarrell Miller in the 10th round in December.
Bivol vs. Beterbiev, for the undisputed 175-pound championship, is one of the most anticipated fights in the sport.
Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs) is best known for defeating Canelo Alvarez in 2022 but he has a long track record of dominating top contenders. Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) also has overwhelmed opponents, none of whom have reached the final bell.
Weekend Review: Anthony Joshua embarrassed Francis Ngannou AND Tyson Fury on Friday in Saudi Arabia.
A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER AND LOSER
Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury
Tyson Fury must’ve have been embarrassed on Friday night.
Anthony Joshua did what his countryman should’ve done when Fury fought Francis Ngannou in October, which was to demonstrate that an MMA fighter without boxing experience has no business in the ring with a top heavyweight.
Fury survived a knockdown to eke out a pathetic split decision victory in Saudi Arabia. Joshua annihilated Ngannou in the same country, dropping the Cameroonian three times and stopping him in the second round to build on his momentum and restore some honor to the sport.
The difference between Fury and Joshua in their respective fights with Ngannou?
Not complicated: Fury wasn’t professional, Joshua was.
Fury wasn’t prepared – mentally or physically, it seemed — when he stepped into the ring to face Ngannou, who had some experience in the gym early in his combat sports career but was making his professional boxing debut.
The WBC titleholder obviously thought he could defeat Ngannou just by showing up, a notion shared by many. That’s not how it’s done, however. Not even against a rookie.
Fury rallied from a third-round knockdown to outpoint Ngannou, a decision that wasn’t controversial if you understand how scoring works. However, the competitive nature of the bout was mortifying for both Fury and boxing.
Joshua clearly prepared for his meeting with Ngannou as he would any big fight. When he stepped through the ropes, he was at his best. And the former two-time champion’s best was far too good for Ngannou.
Many of those who care about boxing probably had the same thought after they celebrated the slaughter: Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) should’ve done exactly the same thing against Ngannou.
The fact he didn’t, the fact he struggled merely to have his hand raised against a newbie is a blot on his resume. It also changed my perception of him. I had predicted that he would beat the crafty, but much smaller Oleksandr Usyk handily when they meet for the undisputed championship on May 18, also in Saudi Arabia
Now I’m not so sure. Now I see it as a 50-50 fight, which shouldn’t be the case given Fury’s ability and massive size advantage.
Of course, the blessing for Fury is that he has a golden opportunity to redeem himself immediately, as a victory over Usyk would do. We’ll see which Fury shows up: the wonderfully athletic, skillful behemoth of the past or the disappointment who fell flat against Ngannou.
Meanwhile, Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is on a tear. He’s now 4-0 since his back-to-back setbacks against Usyk in 2021 and 2022 — including consecutive knockouts of Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and now Ngannou — and bursting with confidence.
I and many others thought Joshua was in the last throes of his elite career after the Usyk losses. Now I have had to rethink that notion, too. The way he has performed of late has me convinced that the 34-year-old once again has the tools to beat anyone in the game.
RABBIT PUNCHES
I don’t mean to be too hard on Ngannou. He deserves credit for his performance against Fury. He, unlike Fury, trained to be at his best and that paid off in the form of a strong performance. However, Joshua proved that a fighter with limited boxing skills and experience can only accomplish so much. I hope Ngannou doesn’t go away, however. I’d like to see how he does against second-tier heavyweights – if he’s willing to fight them — and whether he has another surprise in him. … Joseph Parker (35-3, 23 KOs) is another fighter who proved me wrong. I thought the Kiwi was finished after he had two tough fights against Derek Chisora in 2021 and was knocked out by Joe Joyce in September 2022. The 32-year-old former beltholder has won five consecutive fights since the setback, including decisions over Deontay Wilder in December and Zhilei Zhang on the Joshua-Ngannou undercard in his last two fights to reestablish himself as a genuine title contender. He nearly shutout Wilder and deserved better than a majority decision over Zhang, who was coming off back-to-back knockouts of Joyce. The fact Parker had to overcome two knockouts to beat his Chinese counterpart only added to the significance of the victory. Fans love a fighter who overcomes adversity to have his or her hand raised. Make no mistake: Parker is back. …
Can Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs) bounce back in his 40s? He established himself as a heavyweight to be reckoned with by stopping Joyce twice. However, his performance on Friday was a significant step backward. He didn’t show much against a good, experienced boxer aside from the two punches that put Parker down. I imagine he won’t walk away now, though. The knockouts against Joyce are still fresh in his mind. And he did lose a competitive decision to Parker. … I get why people were aghast over the announcement that Jake Paul will face 57-year-old Mike Tyson in what evidently will be an exhibition July 20 at AT&T Stadium near Dallas. It has freak show written all over it. At the same time, it makes perfect sense from a business standpoint. Paul and Tyson stand to make untold millions for dancing around the ring for a few rounds because many people worldwide will find value in the event. How many of us, if we had their abilities, wouldn’t do the same thing? Be honest.
Weekend Review: Anthony Joshua embarrassed Francis Ngannou AND Tyson Fury on Friday in Saudi Arabia.
A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER AND LOSER
Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury
Tyson Fury must’ve have been embarrassed on Friday night.
Anthony Joshua did what his countryman should’ve done when Fury fought Francis Ngannou in October, which was to demonstrate that an MMA fighter without boxing experience has no business in the ring with a top heavyweight.
Fury survived a knockdown to eke out a pathetic split decision victory in Saudi Arabia. Joshua annihilated Ngannou in the same country, dropping the Cameroonian three times and stopping him in the second round to build on his momentum and restore some honor to the sport.
The difference between Fury and Joshua in their respective fights with Ngannou?
Not complicated: Fury wasn’t professional, Joshua was.
Fury wasn’t prepared – mentally or physically, it seemed — when he stepped into the ring to face Ngannou, who had some experience in the gym early in his combat sports career but was making his professional boxing debut.
The WBC titleholder obviously thought he could defeat Ngannou just by showing up, a notion shared by many. That’s not how it’s done, however. Not even against a rookie.
Fury rallied from a third-round knockdown to outpoint Ngannou, a decision that wasn’t controversial if you understand how scoring works. However, the competitive nature of the bout was mortifying for both Fury and boxing.
Joshua clearly prepared for his meeting with Ngannou as he would any big fight. When he stepped through the ropes, he was at his best. And the former two-time champion’s best was far too good for Ngannou.
Many of those who care about boxing probably had the same thought after they celebrated the slaughter: Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) should’ve done exactly the same thing against Ngannou.
The fact he didn’t, the fact he struggled merely to have his hand raised against a newbie is a blot on his resume. It also changed my perception of him. I had predicted that he would beat the crafty, but much smaller Oleksandr Usyk handily when they meet for the undisputed championship on May 18, also in Saudi Arabia
Now I’m not so sure. Now I see it as a 50-50 fight, which shouldn’t be the case given Fury’s ability and massive size advantage.
Of course, the blessing for Fury is that he has a golden opportunity to redeem himself immediately, as a victory over Usyk would do. We’ll see which Fury shows up: the wonderfully athletic, skillful behemoth of the past or the disappointment who fell flat against Ngannou.
Meanwhile, Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is on a tear. He’s now 4-0 since his back-to-back setbacks against Usyk in 2021 and 2022 — including consecutive knockouts of Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and now Ngannou — and bursting with confidence.
I and many others thought Joshua was in the last throes of his elite career after the Usyk losses. Now I have had to rethink that notion, too. The way he has performed of late has me convinced that the 34-year-old once again has the tools to beat anyone in the game.
RABBIT PUNCHES
I don’t mean to be too hard on Ngannou. He deserves credit for his performance against Fury. He, unlike Fury, trained to be at his best and that paid off in the form of a strong performance. However, Joshua proved that a fighter with limited boxing skills and experience can only accomplish so much. I hope Ngannou doesn’t go away, however. I’d like to see how he does against second-tier heavyweights – if he’s willing to fight them — and whether he has another surprise in him. … Joseph Parker (35-3, 23 KOs) is another fighter who proved me wrong. I thought the Kiwi was finished after he had two tough fights against Derek Chisora in 2021 and was knocked out by Joe Joyce in September 2022. The 32-year-old former beltholder has won five consecutive fights since the setback, including decisions over Deontay Wilder in December and Zhilei Zhang on the Joshua-Ngannou undercard in his last two fights to reestablish himself as a genuine title contender. He nearly shutout Wilder and deserved better than a majority decision over Zhang, who was coming off back-to-back knockouts of Joyce. The fact Parker had to overcome two knockouts to beat his Chinese counterpart only added to the significance of the victory. Fans love a fighter who overcomes adversity to have his or her hand raised. Make no mistake: Parker is back. …
Can Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs) bounce back in his 40s? He established himself as a heavyweight to be reckoned with by stopping Joyce twice. However, his performance on Friday was a significant step backward. He didn’t show much against a good, experienced boxer aside from the two punches that put Parker down. I imagine he won’t walk away now, though. The knockouts against Joyce are still fresh in his mind. And he did lose a competitive decision to Parker. … I get why people were aghast over the announcement that Jake Paul will face 57-year-old Mike Tyson in what evidently will be an exhibition July 20 at AT&T Stadium near Dallas. It has freak show written all over it. At the same time, it makes perfect sense from a business standpoint. Paul and Tyson stand to make untold millions for dancing around the ring for a few rounds because many people worldwide will find value in the event. How many of us, if we had their abilities, wouldn’t do the same thing? Be honest.
Joseph Parker surviveed two knockdowns to outpoint Zhilei Zhang on Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Zhilei Zhang delivered the two most impactful punches of the fight. It was mostly Joseph Parker beyond that.
Parker survived a pair of knockdowns to defeat Zhang by a majority decision and build on his momentum on the Anthony Joshua-Francis Ngannou card on Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The victory was the former titleholder’s fifth in a row after he was stopped in 11 rounds by Joe Joyce in September 2022, including a one-sided decision over Deontay Wilder in his previous fight, on Dec. 23.
The fight on Friday was for Zhang’s WBO “interim” title, which puts Parker in a prime position to fight for the sanctioning body’s world title sometime soon.
Parker (35-3, 23 KOs) appeared to be in trouble in Round 3, when a straight left from the Chinese southpaw put him on his trunks.
The Kiwi bounced back to have a strong Round 4 and controlled the next several rounds. Then, in Round 8, a short right hook from Zhang forced Parker to take a knee.
Again, however, he demonstrated impressive resilience by reasserting himself and outboxing Zhang down the stretch.
One judge scored it 113-113, seven rounds to five for Zhang. However, the other two had Parker winning, 115-111 and 114-112.
Parker outworked and outlanded Zhang, according to CompuBox. Parker was 101 of 349 in overall punches, 79 of 168 in power shots. Zhang was 75 of 273 and 40 of 147, respectively.
The loss halted Zhang’s considerable momentum. The 40-year-old was coming off back-to-back knockout victories over Joyce.
Joseph Parker surviveed two knockdowns to outpoint Zhilei Zhang on Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Zhilei Zhang delivered the two most impactful punches of the fight. It was mostly Joseph Parker beyond that.
Parker survived a pair of knockdowns to defeat Zhang by a majority decision and build on his momentum on the Anthony Joshua-Francis Ngannou card on Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The victory was the former titleholder’s fifth in a row after he was stopped in 11 rounds by Joe Joyce in September 2022, including a one-sided decision over Deontay Wilder in his previous fight, on Dec. 23.
The fight on Friday was for Zhang’s WBO “interim” title, which puts Parker in a prime position to fight for the sanctioning body’s world title sometime soon.
Parker (35-3, 23 KOs) appeared to be in trouble in Round 3, when a straight left from the Chinese southpaw put him on his trunks.
The Kiwi bounced back to have a strong Round 4 and controlled the next several rounds. Then, in Round 8, a short right hook from Zhang forced Parker to take a knee.
Again, however, he demonstrated impressive resilience by reasserting himself and outboxing Zhang down the stretch.
One judge scored it 113-113, seven rounds to five for Zhang. However, the other two had Parker winning, 115-111 and 114-112.
Parker outworked and outlanded Zhang, according to CompuBox. Parker was 101 of 349 in overall punches, 79 of 168 in power shots. Zhang was 75 of 273 and 40 of 147, respectively.
The loss halted Zhang’s considerable momentum. The 40-year-old was coming off back-to-back knockout victories over Joyce.
Weekend Review: Zhilei Zhang has blossomed at 40 years old while Joe Joyce has wilted at 38.
A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER
Zhilei Zhang
Zhang didn’t come out of nowhere. The 40-year-old southpaw from China was a silver medalist in the 2008 Olympics and has been a consistent winner as a professional over the past decade. However, when he drew with limited Jerry Forrest in February 2021, he seemed to have hit his ceiling. Then, three fights later, he pushed rising contender Filip Hrgovic surprisingly hard last August to pump new life into his career as he approached 40. And now he has back-to-back knockout victories over once-top contender Joe Joyce, the latter a spectacular one-punch stoppage Saturday in Joyce’s hometown of London. Just like that he became a bona-fide contender for the titles of Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk. Can he beat one of the champions? Probably not. His victories over Joyce were as much the result of Joyce’s limitations as Zhang’s ability. Fury and Usyk are a level above. At the same time Zhang (26-1-1, 21 KOs) is exactly where he wants to be: He has earned the right to fight for a major world title, which is the goal of every prize fighter. He deserves a great deal of credit.
BIGGEST LOSER
Joe Joyce
Joe Joyce couldn’t recover from a brutal right hook. Stephen Pond / Getty Images
Joyce, 38, said during the post-fight news conference that his decision to face Zhang in April was too big of a risk given that he was the WBO’s mandatory challenger to Usyk’s belt at the time. No it wasn’t. If Joyce was what he was supposed to be – a genuine threat to anyone – he should’ve defeated a fringe contender who drew with Forrest and lost to Hrgovic, southpaw stance or no southpaw stance. The fact is he isn’t what he was supposed to be. The 2016 Olympic silver medalist combined size and strength with some ability to win consistently against second-tier opposition to create an aura of formidability, perhaps peaking with a victory over past-his-best Joseph Parker last September. Then the peaking Zhang exposed his limitations – twice. Joyce is big and strong but he’s slow and his skills are solid at best, which isn’t good enough against the best in the division. Joyce mentioned former foe Daniel Dubois as a potential comeback opponent, which makes sense given that both are coming off KO losses. Retirement might be a better option if his goal remains to win a major title. That’s a long shot as things stand now.
RABBIT PUNCHES
Gifted 140-pound contender Richardson Hitchins’ victory over Jose Zepeda (37-4, 28 KOs) on Saturday night in Florida wasn’t thrilling but it was convincing. The 25-year-old New Yorker outclassed a rugged veteran in what was billed as his toughest test to date, winning a near shutout decision on national television. Good night’s work. Hitchins (17-0, 7 KOs) will be a difficult opponent for any of the top junior welterweights. … Conor Benn (22-0, 14 KOs) returned to the ring after 17 months away on the Hitchins-Zepeda card, defeating Rodolfo Orozco by a one-sided decision in a 10-round 154-pound fight. Benn shouldn’t have been allowed to fight, although it’s complicated. Benn tested positive for the banned substance clomifene ahead of his scheduled fight with Chris Eubank Jr. last fall, which led to his suspension. He was cleared by the U.K.’s National Anti-Doping Panel. However, that ruling was appealed by the British Boxing Board of Control and UK Anti-Doping, which seems to leave Benn’s case in limbo. Florida officials should’ve backed British officials. The top agencies must stick together to control cheating.
Weekend Review: Zhilei Zhang has blossomed at 40 years old while Joe Joyce has wilted at 38.
A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER
Zhilei Zhang
Zhang didn’t come out of nowhere. The 40-year-old southpaw from China was a silver medalist in the 2008 Olympics and has been a consistent winner as a professional over the past decade. However, when he drew with limited Jerry Forrest in February 2021, he seemed to have hit his ceiling. Then, three fights later, he pushed rising contender Filip Hrgovic surprisingly hard last August to pump new life into his career as he approached 40. And now he has back-to-back knockout victories over once-top contender Joe Joyce, the latter a spectacular one-punch stoppage Saturday in Joyce’s hometown of London. Just like that he became a bona-fide contender for the titles of Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk. Can he beat one of the champions? Probably not. His victories over Joyce were as much the result of Joyce’s limitations as Zhang’s ability. Fury and Usyk are a level above. At the same time Zhang (26-1-1, 21 KOs) is exactly where he wants to be: He has earned the right to fight for a major world title, which is the goal of every prize fighter. He deserves a great deal of credit.
BIGGEST LOSER
Joe Joyce
Joe Joyce couldn’t recover from a brutal right hook. Stephen Pond / Getty Images
Joyce, 38, said during the post-fight news conference that his decision to face Zhang in April was too big of a risk given that he was the WBO’s mandatory challenger to Usyk’s belt at the time. No it wasn’t. If Joyce was what he was supposed to be – a genuine threat to anyone – he should’ve defeated a fringe contender who drew with Forrest and lost to Hrgovic, southpaw stance or no southpaw stance. The fact is he isn’t what he was supposed to be. The 2016 Olympic silver medalist combined size and strength with some ability to win consistently against second-tier opposition to create an aura of formidability, perhaps peaking with a victory over past-his-best Joseph Parker last September. Then the peaking Zhang exposed his limitations – twice. Joyce is big and strong but he’s slow and his skills are solid at best, which isn’t good enough against the best in the division. Joyce mentioned former foe Daniel Dubois as a potential comeback opponent, which makes sense given that both are coming off KO losses. Retirement might be a better option if his goal remains to win a major title. That’s a long shot as things stand now.
RABBIT PUNCHES
Gifted 140-pound contender Richardson Hitchins’ victory over Jose Zepeda (37-4, 28 KOs) on Saturday night in Florida wasn’t thrilling but it was convincing. The 25-year-old New Yorker outclassed a rugged veteran in what was billed as his toughest test to date, winning a near shutout decision on national television. Good night’s work. Hitchins (17-0, 7 KOs) will be a difficult opponent for any of the top junior welterweights. … Conor Benn (22-0, 14 KOs) returned to the ring after 17 months away on the Hitchins-Zepeda card, defeating Rodolfo Orozco by a one-sided decision in a 10-round 154-pound fight. Benn shouldn’t have been allowed to fight, although it’s complicated. Benn tested positive for the banned substance clomifene ahead of his scheduled fight with Chris Eubank Jr. last fall, which led to his suspension. He was cleared by the U.K.’s National Anti-Doping Panel. However, that ruling was appealed by the British Boxing Board of Control and UK Anti-Doping, which seems to leave Benn’s case in limbo. Florida officials should’ve backed British officials. The top agencies must stick together to control cheating.
Zhilei Zhang’s sixth-round knockout of Joe Joyce in April certainly was no fluke. The Chinese heavyweight made that abundantly clear on Saturday in London, where he stopped the hometown fighter with a single right hand in the final seconds of the …
Zhilei Zhang’s sixth-round knockout of Joe Joyce in April certainly was no fluke.
The Chinese heavyweight made that abundantly clear on Saturday in London, where he stopped the hometown fighter with a single right hand in the final seconds of the third round of their rematch.
Zhilei Zhang’s sixth-round knockout of Joe Joyce in April certainly was no fluke. The Chinese heavyweight made that abundantly clear on Saturday in London, where he stopped the hometown fighter with a single right hand in the final seconds of the …
Zhilei Zhang’s sixth-round knockout of Joe Joyce in April certainly was no fluke.
The Chinese heavyweight made that abundantly clear on Saturday in London, where he stopped the hometown fighter with a single right hand in the final seconds of the third round of their rematch.
