This is Rummy’s Corner.
You know Quasimodo predicted all this.
Coming up on June 1st, from the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Zhang “Big
Bang” Zhilei is scheduled to square off against former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder.
This heavyweight contest between two of the biggest punchers in the world today,
will be featured as a part of the undercard for the upcoming bout for undisputed light
heavyweight supremacy between undefeated champions Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev.
This is a damn interesting match-up! Both of these guys are getting older, both of them are
coming off of a loss, and both of them possess devastating knockout power. Indeed, Wilder and
Zhang are arguably if not probably the two hardest punchers in all of boxing today. The nuclear right
of The Bronze Bomber vs the nuclear left of Big Bang Zhang. Naturally, with power being the last
thing to go as boxers age, and with Wilder and Zhang each having their fair share of flaws,
the expectation going into this one is that someone is getting brutally knocked out.
Zhang has lost 2 of his last 4. He lost a close and somewhat controversial unanimous
decision against Filip Hrgovic, he won a pair of impressive stoppage wins against the then highly
regarded Juggernaut Joe Joyce, and most recently he lost a majority decision against Joseph Parker
back in March. Meanwhile, Wilder has lost 3 of his last 4. He was stopped in his 2nd
and 3rd fights against Tyson Fury, he stopped Robert Helenius in the opening round, and then
he lost a lopsided unanimous decision against the very same Joseph Parker last December.
Joseph Parker is the common denominator here, and neither Wilder nor Zhang looked especially
good against Parker, although Zhang clearly provided greater resistance. Against Wilder,
Parker was able to completely neutralize his right with a clever blend of movement and
maneuvering. The strategy and execution worked perfectly and prevented Wilder from ever feeling
comfortable enough to launch that big right with any accuracy. Parker was patient and methodical,
and he was very selective with his output while ensuring he was never a stationary target just
lingering in Wilder’s optimal punching range. Wilder was left looking confused and unsure of
himself, and he never got going on offense. Parker didn’t do a whole lot on offense,
either. But he didn’t need to, because his tactics shut Wilder down, and whenever Parker did attack,
he did so with quick precision while maintaining that clever blend of movement and maneuvering.
Zhang had more success against Parker, but Parker’s general approach was much the same.
Parker was not providing Zhang with a clear target, and Parker was able to mostly neutralize
Zhang’s big left and his overall output. Whenever Zhang did land, Parker was generally absorbing
the incoming fire well, and the two times he was dropped by Zhang - he recovered quickly
and went back to business in a smart and disciplined fashion. That first knockdown
in round 3 was an especially nice well disguised left from Zhang. Aside from those two knockdowns,
however, Zhang had very little success and was mostly outclassed by Parker. Parker never
provided him with any big window openings to counter, and Zhang otherwise lacked the
stamina and athleticism to effectively attack. Wilder looked a little gun shy against Parker,
in large part because Parker always positioned himself in such a way that he
was never comfortable unloading. Wilder isn’t apt to have that same problem against Zhang. Indeed,
while Zhang does have deceptively fast hands, his feet aren’t especially quick. Wilder may
not have the greatest footwork in the world, but he is quicker on his feet than Zhang,
even if clumsier, too. This means that Zhang will have a trickier time maintaining a safe distance
where he is not just lingering inside Wilder’s optimal range, which should afford Wilder more
opportunities to comfortably unload when he thinks he’s got Zhang positioned where he wants him.
Zhang is a better technical boxer, and he is extremely good at parrying the jab of an orthodox
fighter. But in the case of Wilder, he doesn’t use his jab a whole lot to begin with, often to
his own detriment. The fact that Zhang also has stamina issues, and at times is a bit sluggish
with the activity - these are also factors that can perhaps provide Wilder with an edge,
depending on the ebb and flow. Add in the fact that Zhang is susceptible to being hit by right
hands, both in the Parker fight and especially in the loss against Hrgovic - this is more reason for
Wilder to be encouraged going into this one. But on the flipside, Zhang is a superior
technician, and Wilder’s ability to maneuver and position himself accordingly isn’t on the
same level as Parker. That in itself should inherently afford Zhang more opportunities and
better opportunities to unleash a mean counter. Beyond that, Wilder isn’t exactly a high output
guy himself, so Zhang’s stamina issues may not come into play as much, because Wilder himself is
selective with his output and fights at a measured pace. That’s promising for Zhang, because he
probably will not need to work as hard as he did against Parker in order to keep it competitive.
This is an utterly fascinating match-up where each boxer has specific weaknesses that could
potentially be exploited by the strengths of the other. This might well boil down to who
lands big first. If that’s the case, and the first big punch landed becomes the defining
moment of the bout, then I’m inclined to believe Zhang can deliver first. Again,
Zhang is the one who is a technically superior operator in the realm of the sweet science.
But if Wilder still has that same drive he once had - and to be sure, it is difficult to assess
exactly how hungry Wilder has been since losing that trilogy fight against Fury - then Zhang
landing big first might not necessarily mean the end for Wilder, especially if he can bide
his time and stretch things late where Zhang’s stamina issues are more likely to surface.
Bottom line for me - a lot of people have been trying to discredit Joseph Parker,
claiming that Wilder is gun shy, less determined, and no longer the same fighter he once was. And a
lot of these same people are trying to further discredit Parker, claiming Zhang is an old man
with stamina issues and a sluggish output. I don’t think Wilder and Zhang lost against Parker
because they are old or shot - I think they both lost against Parker because they couldn’t cope
with Parker’s refined tactics coming to fruition under the guidance of Andy Lee. In other words,
I think Parker turned out to be a bad style match-up for both of those guys,
particularly at a time when Parker really seems to be peaking and perhaps realizing his full
potential. I still view Zhang and Wilder as elite heavyweights, where the winner will
no doubt remain a legit Top 10 heavyweight. And I believe both will be highly motivated,
with the prospect of another big opportunity in Saudi Arabia in the balance - I think we’re
in for one hell of a fight here! A real banger that will be absolutely bonkers!
I do believe Zhang will land the first big punch in the early rounds, I have a sneaking suspicion
it might be a right hand that finds the mark, and that might well be the end of it, especially if
Wilder’s heart really is no longer in it since the 3rd Fury fight. But I actually believe Wilder’s
heart will prove to be in it to win it, and not just for the payday. I believe Wilder will become
emboldened and more dangerous at this point, and he will bide his time while getting a bit wilder,
which I believe will transform this into a magnificent war of attrition where each guy has
his moments when a sporadic explosive firefight breaks out, in an otherwise slow and measured
affair. In the second half of the fight, with both fighters exhausted, hurt, and disoriented, and as
Zhang becomes more and more sluggish and less and less active, it will appear as if Wilder is on his
way to overcoming adversity in an epic win for the ages. But in his fatigued and disoriented state,
I believe it is then that Wilder will make the costly mistake that Zhang will capitalize on,
which will ultimately win the day. And I think it will be in one of those moments that
comes out of nowhere in the sense that Zhang will have had a long stretch of inactivity,
recharging as it were, before he finally finds the energy to pounce when Wilder gets reckless.
So for my official prediction, I am taking Big Bang Zhang by 8th round knockout. But I ain’t
especially confident in that. Wilder might be able to land big first, where he can unload on
an out of position Zhang with his feet planted. And maybe I’m wrong that Wilder still has any
fight left in him, and Zhang’s superior technical ability will allow him to land a monster shot that
ends it early. But I really believe we are in for a fun and entertaining scrap in this one, where
the fact that each man’s weaknesses can play into the others’ strengths will make this particular
clash of styles especially captivating. At the end of the day, Zhang is a damn good tactician,
and I think Wilder has actually gone backwards in that regard since parting ways with Breland.
So I like Zhang inside the distance in a barnburner that is absolutely bonkers,
but as always, what the hell do I know? I ain’t exactly Quasimodo over here. But I am
genuinely looking forward to this fight on the Beterbiev-Bivol undercard. And best of luck to
both Wilder and Zhang. I’m fired-up! So who do you think will win between
Wilder and Zhang? Please share your thoughts in the comment section.
Thank you very much for watching everyone, I hope you enjoyed,
and have a wonderful night.
This is Rummy’s Corner.
Nostradamus. Quasimodo's the Hunchback of Notre
Dame. Oh right. Notre Damus. Nostradamus, and Notre Dame. Two different things completely.