The official weights are in for tomorrow night’s “Knockout Chaos” card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. And to be sure, all four men, in the main event and in the co-main event, have put the work in, this evident by the muscles on display moments ago.
Here are the official weights:
- Anthony Joshua – 252-4 pounds
- Francis Ngannou – 272.6 pounds
- Zhilei Zhang – 291.6 pounds
- Joseph Parker – 247.6 pounds.
What jumps right out here is of course the whopping poundage of “Big Bang” Zhang. The huge southpaw from China may have raised some eyebrows due to today’s poundage (or tonnage), but the 40 year old carries the weight well and he looked good on the scale today. As former champ turned pundit David Haye said when commenting on Zhang’s weight – “There’s no junk there, that’s all good stuff.”
Indeed, Zhang is in shape, and he is ready, he says, to stop Parker and reach “the top” of the heavyweight division. Still, some fans may be wondering, how long can Zhang carry that weight without gassing?
As for the main event, there were no surprises with the weights of the two men. AJ is always in superb shape, while Ngannou looked ripped as hell today. Both men were smiling after the weigh-in, with nothing at all given away in terms of who may have the mental edge.
As for the little guys who will be in action tomorrow, featherweights Rey Vargas and Nick Ball also showed up looking in superb physical condition for battle. Defending WBC 126 pound champ Vargas may have surprised some by coming in at 125 pounds on the nose, this of course a full pound under the limit.
Ball, who looked in perhaps better shape than ever before, this from a warrior who has never left any stone unturned in the gym, came in back on the money at 126 pounds even.
The two then engaged in a face-to-face. Or, more accurately, a “face to chest,” as the folks at DAZN called it! Ball, at an official 5’2,” is giving away plenty of height, as well as reach, against the officially-listed 5’7” Vargas (who some say is actually even taller).
But Ball said he is “Used to fighting taller men. I make it work to my advantage. They struggle more punching down that I do punching up.”
The big guys aside, this featherweight battle will be more than worth tuning in for.
