In a highlight reel finish, Zhilei Zhang (27-2-1, 22 KOs) blasted out former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (43-4-1, 42 KOs) in the fifth round in Saturday night at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. The victory by Zhang gave Queensberry’s Team a clean sweep over Matchroom in the 5 vs. 5 event.
Slow Start Gives Way to Explosive Finish
The early rounds saw little in the way of action from both fighters, with the two aging heavyweights looking fearful of letting their hands go. Zhang, 41, trapped Wilder against the ropes in the second round and unloaded with some thudding shots with both hands.
Wilder took the punches well, but it was worrisome to see how weak and timid he looked, as he didn’t to throw anything back while Zhang was working him over. This was not vintage Wilder we were seeing or even the version that had been stopped twice by the Gypsy King Tyson Fury.
Wilder continued to avoid throwing punches in rounds three through four. The crowd looked restless at the lack of meaningful action from both fighters after the fourth. Zhang was trying, at least, but he was so slow and had a hard time getting to Wilder to line him up for a big shot.
His trainer, Malik Scott, told him in between rounds not to be a punching bag for Zhang, and that may have been his downfall.
Fifth Round Fireworks
In the fifth, Wilder came alive, landing several straight right hands to the head of Zhang, getting the crowd amped up. Where things went to pieces for Wilder was when he threw a pawing, half-hearted jab followed by a right hand.
Zhang saw it coming and fired off a right hook to Wilder’s chin, causing him to spin around like a ballerina, staggering off balance and completely defenseless.
Seizing the opportunity, Zhang pounced on the stricken Wilder, hitting him with a clean right hand that sent him down on his back with his legs splayed out. Wilder somehow drunkenly made it back to his feet, but the referee had no choice but to stop the fight at 1:51 of the fifth.
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