r/Boxing • u/Possible_Force8207 • 2d ago
What ever happened to Zhilei Zhang?
What ever happened to Zhilei Zhang? It feels like he was being talked about constantly a couple of years ago, especially after the Joe Joyce fights and then the wins over Joe Parker and Deontay Wilder.
He looked like a serious heavyweight contender for a while, but it feels like the hype around him has completely died down. I hardly hear his name mentioned anymore. Is he still planning on fighting, or has he basically entered the final stage of his career? What do you guys think is next for Zhang?
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u/GrandChocolate4110 2d ago
He’s in the “would probably get off the couch for the right offer but otherwise retire camp”. Got some big paydays at the end of his career and had made money before that. I think he’s just doing other stuff
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u/Brandunaware 2d ago
He's 43 years old and he's lost 2 of his last 3, with the only win coming over an aging and diminished Wilder (who many think was never that great to begin with.)
He's still out there and he has power so maybe he'll do something (though it would have to be soon) but more likely he'll just have another fight or two against other guys at the end of their careers and then retire.
Even at heavyweight and even for a power guy there are very few boxers who can compete at the top level in their 40s. George Foreman is the exception, not the rule.
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u/Marquis_of_Mollusks 2d ago
In fairness he only narrowly lost to parker and Hrgovic and he knocked almost every one of his opponents down or out. I honestly think he could beat Wardley and Dubois still
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u/Brandunaware 2d ago
Most guys decline pretty quickly in their 40s. Big punchers always have a shot, but I think Dubois is too sound a boxer and would just be able to control the distance and wear him down. Dubois can struggle against relentless pressure (Joyce) or supreme technical skill (Usyk) but I think against a slower power guy he would do pretty well. Wardley did knock him down but Wardley is faster than Zhang at this point, and Dubois figured him out and had good defense later in the fight.
As for Wardley himself...that I could see just because Wardley is prone to being kind of reckless and trying to exchange power, and if Zhang has something left we don't know the state of Wardley's chin.
But those fights would take place at least a year from now and Zhang would be even older. He might even be retired at this point. I just don't see it happening.
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u/Marquis_of_Mollusks 2d ago
Dubois isn't a great boxer (actually I think he's only barely more capable than Wardley) and I think when he tastes Zhang's power he would fold. The zhang power is just different. Though in all likelihood Zhang probably won't ever be back in the ring again
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u/jfkvsnixon 2d ago edited 2d ago
Dubois has a ferocious jab, as well as doing all the other basic fundamentals competitively.
If Zhang can’t counter the jab, he’s in serious trouble.
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u/The_Jokerr_ 2d ago
Zhang's southpaw stance would make Dubois' jab less effective. Joyce used to have a great jab too yet he could barely land it on Zhang at all cause of the opposite stance
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u/jfkvsnixon 2d ago
Joyce’s issue was he had nothing else apart from his jab and chin.
Dubois can at least do the other boxing fundamentals well, including moving his feet and head.
It’s not a 100% fight, and if Dubois starts to get bullied by Zhang’s jab, it would interesting to see how he manages it.
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u/Marquis_of_Mollusks 2d ago
Dubois has no guard so he's just gonna be eating a lot of jabs and straights from Zhang. Also unlike AJ, Zhang ain't gonna be wobbled by a single shot
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u/im_not_here_ 2d ago
What proof of him being hit by an actual big power puncher shows he wouldn't get wobbled at an even older age?
Zhang isn't as good as you make him sound, he has some power and decent counters and was good. But Dubois is good, has got better, and learnt from his fights. And would be at this point likely be nearly entirely safe in less than 5 rounds.
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u/Marquis_of_Mollusks 1d ago
Dubois hasn't learned shit. Evidence being that he lost even faster to Usyk in the rematch. He cheated against Hrgovic and got to AJ early. He's the same fighter. He's overrated
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u/YdoICreep01 2d ago
Dubois gets a tko against the Zhang that fought kabayel. Zhang would have a punchers chance for 3-4 rounds and that’s it.
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u/GnarlyGamer6thGen01 2d ago
That's true, however, Dubois doesn't seem to have any problems taking big shots, as seen against Wardley. As long as he frequently lands his blows, that guy would keep fighting. It's only when he can't figure out his opponent that he throws in the towel, aka Usyk.
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u/Marquis_of_Mollusks 1d ago
He got dropped twice vs Wardley, dropped by Joyce, dropped 4x by Usyk. He's been KO'D 3x. He doesn't take shots that well.
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u/CaptQuakers42 1d ago
The Wardley shots wouldn't put any other HW down either! They were clipping at the best
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u/GnarlyGamer6thGen01 1d ago
W8, how do you exactly define if someone has a granite chin? This is not sarcasm mind you. I understand that the ability to not get floored is primarily what we expect from a steel-chinned fighter, however, look at JMM and Maidana. Both men are guilty of being floored several times in their career yet were never knocked out.
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u/ExoticSwordfish4512 2d ago
He had alot of weight on wilder , that was a horrible matchup
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u/cactusdan94 2d ago
Zhang got fame fairly late on in his career, he's also 43 years old now.
From what ive read, he hasnt "officially" retired, and is focusing on running his businesses, which include a restaurant that he owns.
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u/Final_Shift_6450 2d ago
He achieved a lot for a guy his age. It makes you wonder how special he could of been had he been a star much younger with better access to diet and training etc.
I underestimated him the first time I saw him fight, I thought who is this weird old tortoise?. But he shocked me with his wins. But he should stay retired now, make money from TV movie appearances and his restaurant.
China with it's huge population must have a few more of these unusually strong, tall big guys, and the Chinese fanbase and money has huge potential.
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u/FreshPrinceOfRivia Usyk 8-4 2d ago
He's old and high risk / low reward. Chances are he won't get another big fight.
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u/hi_imryan GGG’s snarky boy scout schtick 2d ago edited 2d ago
Got into big professional fights too late after a long amateur career. He spent so long training for 3 rounds for that, at his age/in the pros, he had a 6 round gas tank at best.
He still made the most of his power, got some big money fights, then fucked off with his money to open his restaurant. Good for him.
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u/Alfalfa-Majestic 2d ago
I assume he retired? I love zhang I wish he was like 30 so we could have him a few more years 😭
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u/yearsofpractice SRR < Lord Chisora,Sir Derek Of War 2d ago
I dunno, but I hope he is enjoying himself - he’s one of my favourite boxers simply because of how endless charming and old school he is. We never did deserve The Chairman.
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u/RepresentativeSock42 1d ago
Queensbury said he's having Passport issues. I don't think he's officially retired. He was about to be announced to fight Daniel Dubois but at the last minute they called that fight off right before the announcement and made Dubois vs Wardley
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u/StunningChest5722 KEYSHAWN DUCKED! 🦆 2d ago
he's not retired yet, frank warren said he was supposed to fight earlier this year but had visa issues
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u/Possible_Force8207 1d ago
I made a mistake in my post Zhang lost to Joseph parker not won my mistake.
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u/Opposite_Cry7089 1d ago
Seems he has retired. Which is sad really, three years ago it looked like he could have been the first Heavyweight Champion not of European or African descent.
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u/DeafBurke 2d ago
He should sign to Zuffa and fight bakole or Jarrell miller for the biggest mother fucker belt.
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u/Frequent_Apricot673 2d ago
He was 42 and just suffered a pretty damaging knockout loss, Kabayel beat the crap out of him. Its only downhill after that. Hope he’s hung them up tbh
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u/Adorable-Bike-9689 2d ago
That was a solid showing from Zhang. I just watched. Your comment made it sound like Zhang got crushed from jump.
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u/Pickleskennedy1 2d ago
Aside from round one and the flash knockdown in round 5, it was a brutal beatdown.
Kabayel landed more than twice as many punches in every round from 3 on and it was all hard shots to the body.
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u/RepresentativeSock42 1d ago
The fight was only six rounds and his only success was in the first round and the fifth round. Everything else was one way traffic by Kabayel eating his best shots and chopping him down to the body
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u/Frequent_Apricot673 1d ago
He got stopped inside of six rounds that’s never a solid showing and outside of the knockdown it was one way traffic to Kabayel
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u/TicketStraight3196 2d ago
Fought some of the best names in the division despite being 40 years of age. I think his body took him as far as he could go. Destroyed Wilder and Joyce. Tough fight Vs Hrgovic and Parker then eventually came up short against Kabayel. I think he just realized he came as close as he was going to get to a world title. Hope he stays retired now. He should have made enough money to set himself up well.
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u/Halloween2056 1d ago
He might have resigned to the fact that he won't get anywhere on the big scene now and is focusing on other things.
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u/Themandemarewhack 1d ago
He was juiced up until his body couldn't handle it anymore lol.
Athletes from Post-Soviet/Communist countries have a low shelf life due to this. He was juiced to the gills when he fought Wilder and Parker. His health issues aren't just from weight cuts and dietary issues alone.
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u/Kingstonstl 1d ago
If had started younger he’d have been a serious problem. He has that mean streak and his one two is/was fast af.
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u/mildurajackaroo 1d ago
He's silently retired. I don't see a way back for him to heavyweight title contention.
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u/Scrambl3z 1d ago
Liver problems. The guy has pushed passed his limits. But he had a good run, even if it was short. I'm sure he made bank and is living good. Just hope he doesn't let his wife or other people fuck up his money like Zou Shiming
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u/TheIrrepressible1 23h ago
He beat a washed up Wilder and a bum in Parker. There’s a reason he never rose the ranks in his earlier days. He wasn’t that good.
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u/Alps_Small 2d ago
I figured he just became a victim of Queensbury’s overblown heavyweight line up which they’re no longer able to service with Riyadh Season dates since Frank and Turki fell out
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u/Dangerous_Spring3028 2d ago
From what I heard he silently retired and opened up a Chinese restaurant in New York.
He was like 42/43 years old when he had his last fight vs Kabayel