Thursday, 2 January 2025
Sunday, 2 June 2024
ZHILEI ZHANG FINISHES DEONTAY WILDER IN 5TH--ROUND TKO
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| Zhilei Zhang scored a fifth-round TKO win over Deontay Wilder, who said before the fight that a loss could mean "the final goodbye." Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images |
Zhilei Zhang scored the biggest win of his career Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and might have effectively ended former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder's run in the process.
China's Zhang, 41, connected with a perfectly timed counter right hook that spun Wilder in a daze. With Wilder defenseless, Zhang (27-2-1, 21 KOs) sprinted in and smashed him with another right hand that planted the American hard on the canvas.
Wilder, 38, somehow was on his feet before the count of 10, but his legs were unsteady and the referee wisely waved off the fight at 1:51 of Round 5.
"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.
"I give him a lot of respect. He's a heavy puncher. ... I successfully took his right hand away."
Wilder has lost four of his past five fights, including a decision defeat to Joseph Parker in December along with a pair of losses to Tyson Fury in their heavyweight championship trilogy. Wilder said before the fight that if he lost, "this could be the final goodbye, the farewell of Deontay Wilder."
Zhang, too, was reeling from a decision defeat to Parker, the former heavyweight titleholder. Zhang floored Parker twice in March but still lost on the cards.
Now, he is back on what he called the "road to the champion." That's currently Oleksandr Usyk, who defeated Fury last month in Riyadh for the undisputed championship.
Zhang closed as the -150 favorite against Wilder, according to ESPN BET. He is ESPN's No. 6 heavyweight, and Wilder entered the ring at No. 7. Zhang won a silver medal as a super heavyweight at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing while Wilder claimed bronze in the heavyweight division.
They appeared to be in different weight classes Saturday, too, as Zhang outweighed Wilder by 68.2 pounds -- at 282.8 compared with Wilder's 214.6. There is no weight limit in boxing's heavyweight division.
Zhang used that size advantage to bully Wilder and smother him on the ropes. A southpaw, Zhang was able to connect with right hooks that scored time and again as Wilder cocked his vaunted right hand back but rarely let it go.
In Round 5, Zhang finally began to unload his best weapon. Wilder had just scored with a chopping right hand when he threw yet another right that was countered by Zhang for the finish.
The victory made it a clean sweep for Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions, which was squaring off with rival U.K. promoter Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing in a unique 5 vs. 5 team concept created by Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority.
After Zhang's TKO win, Alalshikh presented Warren with a large check worth $3 million.
- Mike Coppinger, ESPN Boxing Insider
Sunday, 12 May 2024
SAGSTROM, ZHANG BREAK AWAY IN FOUNDERS CUP, DASHING KORDA'S BID FOR RECORD 6TH STRAIGHT LPGA VICTORY
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| AP Photo |
Trying to win a record sixth straight LPGA Tour event, Korda was 11 shots behind Sagstrom and 10 back of two-time NCAA champion Zhang with a round left at Upper Montclair Country Club.
After months of near-perfect play, Korda inexplicably hit bad drives, found bunkers from the fairway and missed short putts. She shot a 1-over 73.
“I think I’ve played really good golf the past couple months,” Korda said. “I’m human, so I’m going to have bad days. I’m not going to feel 100% out here mentally, physically, or whatever, but I’m going to give it my all. It was just one of those days where it felt like a constant battle and didn’t really play too well.”
Sagstrom, who has played well on this course the last three years, had a 66 to get to 19-under 197. Zhang, who won in her professional debut in New Jersey state a year ago, had a 67 after lipping out on a short birdie putt at No. 18.
Unless something unexpected happens, one of them will win their second LPGA Tour title. The 31-year-old Sagstrom has not won since 2020. The Swede who starred at LSU had a bogey-free round of six birdies, highlighted by three in row on the last three holes on the front nine.“
"I felt like this laser focus all week,” Sagstrom said. "I felt super, not super committed to everything, but I felt really in the moment. And that’s kind of the game I think I need to play tomorrow.”
The 20-year-old Zhang, who won the Mizuho Americas Open in Jersey City last year, had seven birdies and two bogeys.
Zhang and Sagstrom had a good time on the course, congratulating each other on good shots while sharing a couple of laughs.
“I think the most important thing for me is just to really try to relax, enjoy the moment, enjoy the shots that I’m hitting,” said Zhang, whose best finish was a tie for seventh in six events this year. “Even if I’m not hitting it great, just learning how to commit to everything is the most important.”
Korda, the world's No. 1 ranked player, was tied for third at 8 under with Sei Young Kim of South Korea and Gabriela Ruffels of Australia, who each shot 67.
The 25-year-old Korda had three birdies and four bogeys, the first coming on the opening hole after finding a bunker from the fairway. She missed her drive right on No. 5 and needed to more shots to get on the green at No. 5 for her second bogey. A three-putt from 25 feet on No. 7 was her third, and the worst was hitting a 70-or-so yard chip from the fairway right into a bunker at No. 9 for the fourth bogey.
“Yesterday was good in everything and today was poor in everything, so that’s just pretty much golf for you,” said Korda, who shot a bogey-free 66 Friday. “Just made too many kind of stupid, silly mistakes, which was unfortunate because they were playing so well. So now there is just a massive gap.”
The LPGA Tour record for largest deficit overcome in winning a tournament is 10 shots. It has been done three times with Mickey Wright (1964). Annika Sorenstam (2001) and Louise Friberg (2008 ).
Korda came into the tournament having taken two weeks off after winning the Chevron Championship. It was her fifth straight title and tied her with Hall of Famers Sorenstam (2004-05) and Nancy Lopez (1978) for the tour's longest winning streak.
Sagstrom called Korda's streak incredible and it's something every player on tour strives to do.
“I think, she’s really stepped up the attention on women’s golf lately and it’s really cool to watch,” Sagstrom said. "I think it’s really good for the game.”
It had to end sometime, and it's not surprising it will probably happen this week the way Sagstrom and Zhang are playing. They've have done a Korda on Nelly.
- TOM CANAVAN
