Deontay Wilder weighed in at slim 214.6 lbs, and his opponent, Zhilei Zhang, came in 68.2 lbs heavier at 282.8 lbs pounds at Friday’s weigh-in for their twelve-round contest this Saturday, June 1st, on DAZN PPV at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Zhang’s weight advantage could play a factor in this fight because this is the heaviest opponent that Wilder has faced, and he will be giving away almost 70 lbs. When Zhang lands, the slim, bridgerweight-sized Wilder is going to feel it, and he might fold up up.
Wilder’s weight is identical to what he weighed for his first-round knockout of Robert Helenius in 2022.
Weights:
Deontay Wilder – 214.6 lbs
Zhilei Zhang – 282.8 lbs
It could be a good sign, but Wilder weighed 213 lbs for his last fight against Joseph Parker last December, and he underperformed in a twelve-round unanimous decision defeat.
The weight is less important for Wilder. It’s more mental with him at this point, as he’s got to be willing to throw punches and take risks for him to have a chance of beating Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs).
Wilder looked determined during his face-off with Zhang today, staring through his opponent and letting him know that he means business on Saturday. Of course, Wilder looked the same way during his face-offs with Tyson Fury, and was still knocked out.
Zhang’s Weight Loss and Previous Performance
Zhang’s weight is nine pounds lighter than the 291 1/2 lbs he weighed for his twelve majority decision defeat against Joseph Parker last March. He was too heavy in that fight, and unable to fight hard in the second half of the contest to pull out the victory.
It was still a razor-close fight, with many boxing fans believing Zhang deserved the decision due to him dropping Parker twice. In the last four rounds, Zhang had nothing left and gave away the fight.
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