Deontay Wilder is knocked out by 41-year-old Zhilei Zhang – his career is probably over
Former boxing world champion Deontay Wilder is facing the end of his career after another bitter defeat.
The former heavyweight champion lost to 41-year-old Chinese fighter Zhang Zhilei on Saturday night in Riyadh by technical knockout in the fifth round, his fourth defeat in his last five fights. It is not unlikely that the 38-year-old American will now end his career
Deontay Wilder at his lowest point
Wilder suffered his fourth defeat in his 48th professional fight. Midway through the fifth round, Wilder staggered around the ring disoriented after a right hand from Zhang, before the Chinese fighter sent his opponent crashing to the floor with another right hand. The referee then stopped the fight.
It was an inglorious exit for Wilder, who was once feared in the heavyweight division for his hard punching and had held the WBC world championship belt for around five years. He only lost it in February 2020 in the second part of the trilogy against Britain’s Tyson Fury.
In the third duel with Fury the following year, Wilder was badly knocked out before coming back in October 2022 with a knockout victory against Finland’s Robert Helenius. Last December, however, a points defeat to New Zealander Joseph Parker ruined a big fight against former world champion Anthony Joshua
Daniel Dubois wins – does he now get an Usyks title?
Before the Wilder defeat, Daniel Dubois was crowned interim IBF heavyweight champion. The 26-year-old Briton defeated Croatian Filip Hrgovic by technical knockout in the eighth round.
Dubois could be elevated to regular IBF world champion if undisputed champion Alexander Usyk is stripped of his IBF belt. The federation had announced this after Usyk preferred a rematch against Fury to a duel with his mandatory challenger Hrgovic.
