“I would like to make this fight happen. Anthony Joshua is a superstar, he’s a bigger name and he holds belts. In the heavyweight division, you never know. It takes only one punch,” said Zhang, punching his right palm with his left fist.
As if Zhilei Zhang wasn’t already intimidating—as if being 6′ 6″ with Thanos-like fists didn’t make your knees rattle, as if back-to-back knockout wins last year over granite-chinned Brit Joe Joyce weren’t enough—on this particular mid-November afternoon, inside a nondescript gun range in northern New Jersey, Zhang has his fingers wrapped around a Sig Sauer P365 XL. Guns, Zhang insists, were never his thing. His trainer, Shaun George, introduced him to recreational shooting a few years ago; Kurt Li, his co-manager, translator and, it turned out, part-time range safety officer, showed him the ropes. The first time he pulled a trigger, his hands trembled.
Ever since the first fights involving YouTube stars KSI and Joe Weller back in 2017, people from all walks of life – from TikTok to music – have slipped on the gloves and stepped into the ring, with the exhibition demographic of the sport growing rapidly.
The fight marks Tyson’s return to a professionally sanctioned match after last competing in 2005. Tyson explained his request by stating, “I wanted shorter rounds for more action. If we have shorter rounds, we’ll fight more. More action.” On the other hand, Jake Paul, a 27-year-old former YouTuber turned boxer, welcomed the challenge and dismissed concerns about Tyson’s age affecting the bout’s intensity. “Age doesn’t matter. Age is just a number. He’s a killer and a warrior. It’s going to be a firefight with more punches,” said Paul.
DAZN reports the nasty cut over Hrgovic’s right eye was caused by a punch, not by a headbutt. And the punches keep coming. Hrgovic lands a big right, but he’s bleeding and this bout will not be won by fancy footwork or defense. Hrgovic bleeding badly and landing big. Dubois 48, Hrgovic 47.
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.
Perhaps even in the family. At the table, Zhang flashes a picture of his son, who still lives in China and sees his dad a few times a year. His name is Jingze—Mandarin for “respect the rules”—but he is known to Zhang’s U.S. contingent as Zach. Now 14 years old, he’s 6’ 2” and weighs 200 pounds. There’s no doubt where Zach’s size comes from. But asked whether Zach boxes, Zhang shakes his head. Likes school, Zhang says. Studies English. But hates sports. Oof. That’s one no. But there are still more than a billion to go.
“Strong punchers, according to Parker who fought them both. Wilder is training knowing this is his last chance at getting a title shot or he’ll have to retire. I see this fight at a slow pace, round after round. Both touching, when the explosion happens and Wilder right hand lands flush and hurts Zhang, he may not get dropped but the ref steps in and waves the fight off somewhere between six and eight rounds.”
“Our team has worked diligently with all parties involved to reschedule this monumental fight to a date that ensures both Jake Paul and Mike Tyson are fully prepared, with equal training time, as well as allowing us to keep the event at AT&T stadium in the midst of the Cowboys season,” MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian said in a statement.
Behind the scenes, however, things were not as happy and stable as they seemed. The passing of Cus D’Amato in 1985 hit the fighter particularly hard. Shortly afterward, renowned boxing manager Don King ingratiated himself into Tyson’s favour, eventually becoming his manager.
Alright, here’s the scoop on S. Victor Whitmill and his legal tango with Warner Bros. over Mike Tyson’s iconic face tattoo in The Hangover: Part II. Whitmill, the tattoo artist who originally inked Tyson’s tattoo, wasn’t too thrilled when he saw a very similar design champions in each division boxing the movie sported by Ed Helms’ character. Therefore, he went ahead and sued Warner Bros., claiming they ripped off his copyrighted tattoo without his permission.