Deontay Wilder v Zhilei Zhang Prediction: Zhang can deliver early blow
There's a huge heavyweight clash between Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang on Saturday night, with the bout forming part of the Matchroom and Queensbury 5 vs 5 card.
Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs) is on the comeback trail after his defeat to Joseph Parker in March and a loss to the Kiwi is something that the Chinese fighter shares with Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs).
The Bronze Bomber was battered by Parker when the pair clashed in Saudi Arabia last December and the Alabama man has plenty to prove at the Kingdom Arena on Saturday night.
Best bets
Under 7.5 Total Rounds @ 4/7
December's defeat to Parker made it three losses in four fights for Wilder, and the Bronze Bomber has it all to prove when he takes on Zhang on Saturday night.
It's not just that he has lost twice to Fury and once to Parker, but it's the bruising nature of those reversals that would be concerning.
The 37-year-old was pummelled by the New Zealander last time out, and while the Kiwi is a former world champion, far more was expected from Wilder.
Fury hasn't exactly dazzled since he was involved in the gruelling trilogy of bouts against the Bronze Bomber and it has to be a consideration that the peak level of the Alabama man will never be seen again.
Zhang is also coming into this fight off a defeat to Parker, but Big Bang had the Kiwi on the canvas twice in that contest, and it wasn't a performance as bad as Wilder's.
Zhang is clearly in the twilight of his career at the age of 41, but it wasn't that long ago that the Zhoukou fighter was dominating Joe Joyce, and Big Bang certainly appears a more solid option in Saudi Arabia.
It seems unlikely that these two aged fighters will have the conditioning and physical abilities for a 12-round slugfest and neither of the duo has the skill-set or movement to stay out of the way and keep the fight at range.
Zhang will stand in front of Wilder, who will look to his own punching power to save the day and going under 7.5 rounds looks like a solid play.
Zhang to win in rounds 1-4 @ 18/5
Big Bang's power caused Joyce, Parker and Filip Hrgovic major problems and there has to be a major concern over the faded punch resistance of Wilder.
The Bronze Bomber has contested 47 bouts in a drawn-out career and the 37-year-old has taken a serious amount of punishment recently in three fights with Fury and the loss to Parker.
At 18/5, it could pay to have a small punt on Zhang ending Saturday's Saudi contest in rounds 1-4.
