Tonight in the headlining fight on the ‘5 Vs. 5’ card in Saudi Arabia, Zhilei Zhang took out Deontay Wilder via 5th round KO. The ending came as “Big Bang” cracked Wilder with a right hand that spun the former WBC heavyweight champion around, Wilder left in a state of confusion, with him trying to talk to the referee.
The free shot that was open to the Chinese southpaw was duly taken, and a second right sent Wilder down in a heap on his back.
Wilder tried to get up but he was gone. It was over at 1:51 of round five. 41 year old Zhang is now 27-2-1(22). 38 year old Wilder falls to 43-4-1(42).
It was a dull fight early, and right to the end if we’re honest. Both men were cautious, with neither puncher willing to sling out much leather. Wilder may have edged the opening round, Zhang the next two or three. Then, in the fifth, Zhang caught Wilder with a big right, and then a second right, and it was all over. And with Zhang’s KO, surely Wilder’s career reached its end.
Zhang threw very few punches in tonight’s fight, as is his custom, while Wilder was nothing like the fearsome banger he once was. It was in many ways sad to see, with Wilder’s expected career finale seeing him go out with the proverbial whimper, not a bang. In time, over the coming days/weeks, the Wilder career obituaries will be written. And we will miss Wilder now that he’s gone. The old Wilder, that is – the “Bronze Bomber.”
As for Zhang, who and what next?
Zhang will always be a dangerous proposition for just about anyone, and the fight-ender he scored tonight will add handsomely to his highlight reel. But Zhang really is a fighter with a lowly punch output, a poor work-rate. Will this again catch up with him as it did in the Joseph Parker fight? Maybe.
For now, “Big Bang,” a hero in China, looks ahead. To where, we don’t yet know.
Finally, scores tonight show a clean sweep for Queensbury, with a 5-0 victory over Matchroom.
