By: Sean Crose
Deontay Wilder was once considered one of the most formidable opponents in the world. And indeed that man was. The power of the Alabama native is so strong that people believe he is the strongest puncher in the history of boxing. However, three brutal fights with Tyson Fury, plus a loss to Joseph Parker, appeared to have taken a toll on Wilder, as the former WBC heavyweight champion was knocked down and then stopped by Zhilei Zhang in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
The first round was quite entertaining as each man tried to assert himself with minimal success. However, both fighters look forward to the opportunity to throw their fists. Zhang took Wilder to the corner in the second round and actually knocked the former champion down. Wilder was able to escape, but a short time later found himself backed into the corner. Zhang was able to continue to land Wilder in the third round. The New Jersey-based Chinese heavyweight is taking control of the fight from the man known as “The Bronze Bomber.”
By the fourth, it was clear that Wilder looked nothing like his former self. Again, Wilder often looked less than stellar in his prime but still pulled off a resounding victory. With that said, Wilder decided to go back to hunter mode in the fifth part. However, he still couldn’t do much. Wilder was then dropped by Zhang’s rocket. The brave Alabaman was able to overcome the score, but the referee wisely intervened and stopped the match.
It’s hard to imagine Wilder returning to his former glory at this point. First of all, he was two years away from turning forty. Furthermore, his body had suffered a lot of damage in his three fights against Fury. These things probably count for something. Last but perhaps not least, Wilder may have lost his edge. Again, there were times when Wilder found himself tested, but he always did it before the final bell. The last time Wilder’s power actually got him out of trouble was when it sent Fury to the floor in their first fight. And that was many years ago. He was an excellent boxer in his prime, but Wilder’s prime may be over.
Here’s Zhang and his great performance this weekend.
