"The Big Bang" Zhang Zhilei has confirmed his next bout, and he will make his debut in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 1 against former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay "Bronze Bomber" Wilder. For Zhang Zhilei, this is an extremely critical competition, and if he wins, he will climb further, and if he loses, he is likely to be on the verge of retirement. Again, it was a contest with no way back for Wilder, who himself even revealed that a defeat would officially end his career.
A few days ago, Zhang Zhilei traveled to London, England, for a press conference after the finalization of the competition. Now, the war is officially on the agenda, Zhang Zhilei has re-embarked on the journey, he returned to the United States from the United Kingdom, and officially devoted himself to preparing for the war. According to people familiar with the matter, as early as earlier this month, Zhang Zhilei had already started adaptive training, which shows how much he attaches importance to Wild.
According to the video released by Zhang Zhilei, after returning to the United States, under the leadership of the strength and fitness coach, he conducted high-density training, his forehead was covered with beads of sweat, he looked very focused and meticulous, and at the same time did not forget to show off his car, calling it a "big guy", Zhang Zhilei wrote in the title of the video: It feels so good to be completely back on track, sweating like rain.
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The battle between Zhang Zhilei VS Wild is undoubtedly a very suspenseful and interesting battle, considering the strength and offensive style of both sides, the confrontation is bound to be very hot, whether it is Zhang Zhilei or Wilder, there is a possibility of being knocked down, so who has a better chance of having the last laugh? Most fans and media believe that this is a 50-50 contest.
This week, famous British heavyweight fighter Fraser Clarke predicted the fight between Zhang Zhilei and Wilder, and he believes that Zhang Zhilei's endurance may be one of the key factors in determining the victory or defeat.
The Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist took on fellow British countryman Fabio Wardley last month for the Commonwealth and WBO European heavyweight titles, with Clarke holding Wardley to a draw after bleeding from a nose injury and falling to the ground once. Next, the two do not rule out a rematch.
Now, with a short leisure, Clark has set his sights on other games, including the battle of Zhang Zhilei vs Wilder. Zhang Zhilei lost on points last month after knocking out Joseph Parker twice, and he was slacked off in the second half before Parker turned things around. After the game, Zhang Zhilei admitted his mistake and said that he would compete with Wilder in a better state and strategy. However, in Clark's opinion, Zhang's stamina may not be able to help him do that.
"You can assume that Zhang won't make a similar mistake again, but given his age, I don't think it would have been better in the second half, it was more like a four- or five-round shootout," Clark said. ”
Although the outside world believes that Zhang Zhilei vs Wild is a close match, some industry insiders feel that because Wilder's determination and fighting spirit have weakened a lot, it is difficult to shake Zhang Zhilei, and Zhang Zhilei's left-handed style and defensive counterattack ability will pose a threat to Wilder. Clark agreed, saying he felt that Wilder would have to abandon his mindset and style if he wanted to win the game, so that he could hope to defeat his opponent.
"Wild needs to play with your head, not just stand there and fight Zhang Zhilei, you have to use your footwork and movement and everything else that you are good at to win well," Clark said. ”
Clark also predicted the upcoming Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk unification bout next month. Clark said he felt in his heart that Fury could win, but he was conflicted because Usyk was a rather dangerous fighter.
"You know, it's a terrible game, and I'm constantly changing my mind," Clark said. Now, Fury looks like he's lost a lot of weight, is that proportional to his form? I want Fury to win, and at the same time tell myself that Usyk is very good, so I'm still hesitating. ”