Joyce no tardó en avisar de que haría efectiva la cláusula de revancha que tenía el contrato. Ese movimiento no impidió que Zhang sonase incluso para pelear contra Fury. No sucedió y este sábado habrá secuela en Londres. Con lo visto en abril, el chino es favorito, pero la pegada de Joyce hace que la balanza se iguale. El Mundial WBO Interino del pesado está en juego, pero es lo de menos. El ganador puede posicionarse para un grandísimo combate. Joyce ansiaba tener esa posición desde hace meses y Zhang… también, aunque no lo manifieste así. En abril asaltó la banca y este sábado pretende repetir. El boxeador atípico quiere seguir haciendo historia.
«A really tough one to call because it’s really hard to tell where Wilder is at. Prior to the Joseph Parker fight I’d have said Wilder as Zhang ain’t that hard to find and Wilder’s power is devastating. Now, obviously ring rust would have been a factor for Wilder’s poor showing but also Joseph Parker’s movement and self-belief were also factors. On top of that, listening to Wilder in interviews, he seemed like a guy that was on a spiritual journey trying to find himself. Now whilst that might make him a better person, it probably strips him of that vicious streak you need as a fighter. In summary, from what I can gather from the outside looking in, I don’t think Wilder really wants to box anymore and is most likely cashing out, so I go with Zhang by KO, but obviously Wilder only needs one clean punch so who knows?»
Wilder scurries away from Zhang, almost falls to the canvas. These two might set a Compubox record for fewest punches per round. To do it, you won’t need all of your fingers and toes. Wilder throws a hard right, Zhang counters with a left. Zhang 40, Wilder 36.
In 2013, the boxer tweeted that he was in the process of getting his face tattoo lasered off (via Elite Daily). «At the doctor’s office this morning. Getting this tattoo removed from my face. This is going to be painful,» he reportedly wrote at the time.
Joshua scored a knockdown in Round 2 and went on to win their quarterfinal match, 15-11. George stayed on with the amateur team, guiding them through the 2016 Games, while Zhang turned pro in 2014 in search of a different heavyweight crown.
Andy Lee, Parker’s trainer, was pleased with his fighter’s boxing display. The former WBO middleweight titlist urged Parker, a stablemate of WBC heavyweight champ Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs), No. 1 at HVY, to continue that approach in the final two rounds.
Boxing’s only champion with a 100% knockout ratio, Beterbiev rarely loses a round. A punishing puncher with a stiff jab, Beterbiev added a third 175-pound title in June with a two-round beatdown of Joe Smith Jr. While Beterbiev’s all-around game can’t be questioned, he has been inactive over the years and has just 18 career fights as he approaches 38 years old. With an expected victory over Anthony Yarde, talks could resume to match Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed light heavyweight championship in a mouth-watering matchup.
A few months after Zhang’s debut, Dynasty Boxing went bust. «We ran out of money,» says Terry. The Lanes exited the business. Duva pivoted Zhang to Roc Nation, with Duva joining as an executive. Roc Nation—like many new promoters—entered boxing with a bunch of money and no plan. Zhang continued to fight but often at low-profile shows. When he did get opportunities he stumbled. In 2015, Zhang, fighting on the undercard of Miguel Cotto’s middleweight title defense against Canelo Álvarez, faced Juan Goode. Zhang was knocked down in the fourth round, narrowly squeezing out a decision. «He looked like s—,» says Duva. «His training, his diet, his living habits, they were all bad.» The next year George returned and addressed it, laying out a structured schedule and enlisting nutritionists.
Adding, «We sat down and spoke and he didn’t really want to fight and he wasn’t prepared to and that was one of the reasons he got the tattoo. After a good hour talk, I was in tears when I left the house that night. I went and stayed in a hotel because I was pretty despondent.»
«I blocked a few punches, but hell yeah, he punches hard,» Zhang, speaking through an interpreter, said of Wilder (43-4-1, 42 KOs), who is regarded as one of the most powerful punchers in heavyweight history.
«In 2008 I made the Olympics and I got the silver medal, that’s when people started to recognize that there’s a big Chinese heavyweight that can fight. But that was it. Then I turned pro and in ten years I feel like I settled down, I’m not clout chasing. The more I settle down I realize I have to work hard and get where I am right now. I believe in both west and east worlds, I’m being recognized a lot more than before,» said Zhang.
There has understandably been plenty division of boxing excitement over the sort of challenge Joyce might pose to reigning champions Fury and Usyk, but the sight of him failing to get his head off the line and Zhang thudding home sledgehammer lefts at will was wince-inducing. Fury and Usyk’s superior speed, skills and angles would have made light work of this version of the Juggernaut.
