The 2016 Rio Olympic silver medallist was staggered time to time and his face was covered by blood often. The referee decided to end the match in the sixth round and Zhang replaced Joyce to become the mandatory challenger for unified champion Oleksandr Usyk’s WBO title.
Joyce looked tentative throughout the first three rounds, hesitant to engage and troubled by Zhang’s output. Then, in the final seconds of Round 3, Zhang landed a clean left cross and devastating right hook, dropping Joyce heavily.
“I think a win for Zhilei on Saturday really separates out the heavyweight division,” Lane told Sky Sports. “If he is victorious, you really have Fury, Usyk and Zhang on top. Everyone else will be far, far beneath. If Zhilei wins, as we expect him to again, Fury is our first target. We will have to sit back and see what fights get made—and perhaps, more importantly, which fights do not get made. This division is just a constant game of ‘musical chairs.’”
Boxing has become increasingly popular in China in recent years, with several Chinese boxers, especially women, making their mark on the international stage. But while boxing still remains a niche sport for many Chinese, mixed martial arts has managed to break through the public consciousness, with Zhang Weili, the first Chinese UFC world champion, and other fighters increasingly commanding a mainstream following.
They reunited in October of 2017 when Zhang switched back to George after a stint with trainer Diego Rosario. Their first fight together in July, Zhang’s first in 10 months, resulted in Zhang’s sixth straight first-round knockout win. That’s more an indication of the level of competition he’s been fighting, but Zhang had been near an opponent befitting his aspirations a few days prior when he posed for photos next to Joshua at a press conference for the DAZN streaming app.
The short answer to what a heavyweight boxer eats is, well, everything. Steak, chicken, different kinds of fish. During a recent visit to Jiang Nan, a Chinese-fusion joint Zhang frequents in Montclair, N.J., a plate filled with flat, oval-shaped meat arrives at the table. George slides a piece between a pair of chopsticks and asks Zhang to identify it. He always asks. In China, George was often offered food he couldn’t identify. Horse. Bull penis. Snake blood. “Cow tongue,” says Zhang. The chopsticks drop. “Nope,” says George. “Not eating that.”
Mayer, who lost her IBF and WBO junior lightweight titles to fellow American Alycia Baumgardner on points in October after three successful defenses, is targeting Taylor or a Baumgardner rematch. Taylor (22-0, 6 KOs), 36, from Ireland but based in the United States, will not be available until late 2023 at least, with a rematch against Serrano, from Puerto Rico but based in New York, in the pipeline if she beats Cameron in a fight for the undisputed world junior welterweight title in Dublin, Ireland, next month.
OHHHH! Wilder gets caught!! Not even sure what got him but Wilder is now stumbling with his back turned! Zhang jumps on him and levels Wilder with a right hook!! Wilder is trying to beat the count. He looks in bad shape though. Wilder gets up at 8 but the ref has seen enough! Clean sweep for Queensberry!!!
On January 3, 2022, the IBF sent an invitation to Hrgović and Luis Ortiz to enter talks for a final title eliminator. Hrgović immediately accepted the offer, with his promoters stating: “Challenge accepted by Filip Hrgovic, days and counting for Luis Ortiz to accept”. Ortiz refused, citing inability to compete due to injury. The IBF then invited the next highest ranked heavyweight contender, Joseph Parker, to enter talks for a title eliminator bout. Parker refused to enter talks as well, due to recovering from injuries. On January 10, the same invitation was extended to Tony Yoka. Yoka accepted the offer on January 13. The fight was supposed to be a rematch of their 2016 Summer Olympics semi-final bout, which Yoka narrowly won on points. The IBF later ruled Yoka ineligible to enter an agreement with any opponent other than Martin Bakole, as the two had already signed contracts to face each other. On January 26, both Andy Ruiz Jr. and Murat Gassiev received invitations to enter into negotiations with Hrgović, which they refused five days later, citing lingering injuries as the reason for refusal. On February 7, it was revealed that the #13 ranked Chinese heavyweight Zhilei Zhang had accepted the invitation to enter into negotiations with Hrgović.
In a recent interview on Twitter Space (now known as X), Turki Alalshikh expressed his desire to see Zhang face Bakole in China this December. This proposed bout is seen as a more exciting option compared to a potential rematch between big bang zhang record and Joseph Parker, which has been promoted by Frank Warren. While Parker is a credible opponent, having previously defeated Zhang, many fans and analysts found their first fight to be lackluster, and there is little enthusiasm for a rematch.