Zhang beats Wilder after vicious 5th-round TKO

Zhilei Zhang had the biggest victory of his career in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and put an end to the ex-heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder’s run in the division.

Zhilei Zhang FINISHED Deontay Wilder in SPECTACULAR FASHION!! 💥 🇨🇳 😤 pic.twitter.com/UoHSnNUXiO

— Boxing on TNT Sports (@boxingontnt) June 2, 2024

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Zhilei (41) exploded with a perfectly timed counter right hook that put Deontay in a daze. With the American boxer defenseless, the Chinese (27-2-1, 21 KOs) sprinted in and struck him with another right hand that put Wilder hard on the canvas.

Deontay was able to be on his legs before the official count to 10, but the American was visibly unstable, and the referee took the right decision to wave off the bout at 1:51 in the 5^th round.

“I was able to defense several punches, but without a doubt, Wilder punches hard,” Zhilei, speaking through an interpreter, shared of Deontey (43-4-1, 42 KOs), who is known as 1 of the most powerful punchers in the history of the division.

Deontay was defeated in 4 of his last 5 fights, which means that his run for the championship practically is out of reach in the near future.