Deontay Wilder: record, next fight and profile →
At Thursday's final press conference ahead of his "5 vs 5" heavyweight clash with Deontay Wilder on Saturday in Saudi Arabia, Zhilei Zhang did his best to stir discontent within Team Matchroom.
Anthony Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed that the heavyweight contender’s next fight will take place in September with the winner of Filip Hrgovic vs. Daniel Dubois as the likeliest opponent – with one Deontay Wilder-shaped caveat.
The term “loser leaves town” dates back to the territorial days of pro wrestling, when promotions stuck to particular regions and the ultimate way to finish off a long-running feud was with a loser-leaves-town match. It was a way to artificially inflate the stakes before a wrestler who was planning to go elsewhere for a while anyway packed his bags.
Zhilei Zhang still considers Deontay Wilder a dangerous prospect despite the American’s lackluster performance against Joseph Parker on December 23.
Former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder should have seen his 2024 mapped out with certainty on December 23 last year with a victory over Joseph Parker.
Beterbiev-Bivol might be off the schedule but the heavyweight collision between Wilder and Zhang is a must-see on the stacked 5 v 5 card.
Deontay Wilder has landed in Saudi Arabia ahead of his crucial heavyweight showdown with Zhilei Zhang on Saturday, June 1.
