Deontay Wilder will give away 68 pounds against Zhilei Zhang on Saturday night in their heavyweight crossroads fight.
Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs) has been at a huge weight deficit in his fights against Tyson Fury, but never like this before against the 282.8 lb Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs), and it could be asking too much from the ‘Bronze Bomber to be that much lighter than his opponent.
Deontay was seriously weight-challenged against Fury, but he wasn’t dealing with a puncher like he would on Saturday night against Zhang, who can KO him with either hand.
That’s a massive difference in weight, even in the heavyweight division, where disparities between fighters are often huge.
It would be less of an issue if Wilder possessed a better chin because he could hang around long enough to land one of his big right hands to knockout Zhang if his punch resistance was better.
Weigh-In Results:
– Deontay Wilder: 214.6 lbs
– Zhilei Zhang: 282.8 lbs
– Weight Difference: 68.2 lbs
At Friday’s weigh-in today, the former WBC champion Wilder weighed in at a slender 214.6 lbs, looking more like a Bridgerweight or cruiserweight than a heavyweight, and that could be an obstacle to him winning on Saturday night at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“Wilder is fighting for his career. That was a very honest interview. Some would say they didn’t like the sound of it, but he didn’t like it, did he?” said promoter Eddie Hearn to Queensberry about Deontay Wilder talking about retirement if he loses to Zhilei Zhang.
“He said, ‘If I get beat, I’m done.’ So, he’s either checking out, or he’s putting all the pressure on himself to perform tomorrow night. I’m double sure it’s the latter, but he’s got to win tomorrow night.”
The way Hearn was talking today, he seems to know that the 38-year-old Wilder is up against it in this fight and will need a minor miracle for him to win. It’s believed that Hearn is interested in signing Wilder to his Matchroom company if he’s victorious, and he’s not expected to get the chance.
“By the way, he’s 60 pounds lighter than Zhilei Zhang. He’s used to it. He’s been there his whole career, but Zhilei Zhang is a heavy-handed guy. You saw that in the Joseph Parker fight. I just saw Joseph Parker. He’s backing Wilder tomorrow night, but he’s going to have to be a lot better,” said Hearn.
Zhang would have beaten Parker if he hadn’t emptied his gas tank so early, but he looks in much better shape for Saturday’s fight with Wilder. That ain’t good for Wilder.
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