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I felt Wilder actually improved from his match against Parker
Outside of the one or two times Zhang was able to trap Wilder and tee off, Wilder was able maneuver away from the ropes with upper-body movement, or smother and at times turn Zhang, instead of leaning back with his chin in the air. He kept his right hand mostly quick and compact, at times sneaking it through Zhang's guard. When he bothered Zhang with a big right hand in the 5th round, he stuck with what got him the result, instead of losing his composure and flailing. He showed patience, while still being willing to throw punches.
However, his boxing IQ still wasn't up to par. In the 3rd round, Wilder and Zhang respectively traded a straight right and a right hook, because the former fighter dropped his left hand, instead of keeping it positioned to block. Neither Wilder nor his corner recognized this error, so Wilder wound up making the same mistake 2 rounds later, and was subsequently knocked out. Wilder actually looked like he had some understanding of how to box instead of clumsily using his right hand as a crutch, but bad habits die hard, and "some understanding" is not enough at the world level. Zhang is also not a fighter you want to experiment with, because your margin of error is near zero against that kind of punching power.
This is why you shouldn't fall in love with your power; Sooner or later, you'll run into someone you can't just bomb out. Imagine how much better Wilder could've been, had this development began even just a few years ago?
However, his boxing IQ still wasn't up to par. In the 3rd round, Wilder and Zhang respectively traded a straight right and a right hook, because the former fighter dropped his left hand, instead of keeping it positioned to block. Neither Wilder nor his corner recognized this error, so Wilder wound up making the same mistake 2 rounds later, and was subsequently knocked out. Wilder actually looked like he had some understanding of how to box instead of clumsily using his right hand as a crutch, but bad habits die hard, and "some understanding" is not enough at the world level. Zhang is also not a fighter you want to experiment with, because your margin of error is near zero against that kind of punching power.
This is why you shouldn't fall in love with your power; Sooner or later, you'll run into someone you can't just bomb out. Imagine how much better Wilder could've been, had this development began even just a few years ago?
shenmue
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