Zhilei Zhang got a laugh out of the crowd today during the final press conference when he said that the only reason promoter Eddie Hearn chose Deontay Wilder as his Team captain for his Matchroom stable is to “kiss his a**” so that he’ll sign a promotional contact with him.
It’s unclear if Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs) is telling the truth, but it may not matter because if he knocks out the former WBC heavyweight champion Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs) this Saturday night, he won’t be worth signing.
Wilder vs. Zhang will be battling in a 12-round heavyweight fight this Saturday, June 1st, live on DAZN PPV in the ‘5 vs. 5’ Matchroom vs. Queensberry event at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Most would agree that both of these aging fighters must win, as they lost their last fights, and they’re not young enough to absorb another defeat without wrecking their marketability or what’s left of it.
Wilder’s Warrior Mentality: Is it Enough?
“I’m going to deliver on Saturday night, and I can’t wait,” said Deontay Wilder during the final press conference. “I’m going to stand over his body like Ali did with [Sonny] Liston in 1965. I must deliver. I’m a warrior. I got a warrior mentality. I’m willing to die in the ring for what I believe in.”
It doesn’t matter if Wilder has got a warrior’s mentality. If he can no longer take a big shot because of his deteriorated punch resistance, he’s not going to last long against Zhang on Saturday night.
It’s great that Wilder views himself as a warrior, but it’s meaningless if his chin is too weak to handle the shots from ‘Big Bang’ Zhang on Saturday night.
“He’s a veteran, and he’s the Bronze Bomber, but I think he’s out of ammo now because he’s fighting ‘Big Bang’ right now,” said Zhilei Zhang. “I think he [Eddie Hearn] made a mistake. I think he chose him as the captain to kiss his a** in order to get a promotional contract.”
What Zhang says about Wilder being out of ammo might be true. He’s not been able to pull the trigger on his shots the way he used to in several of his losses in the last four years, and that’s a sign that he’s done as a fighter.
Hearn Denies Booty Kissing
“No, but I’d love to sign Deontay Wilder. I think he’s one of the most exciting fighters in the world, one of the best heavyweights in the world,” said promoter Eddie Hearn when asked if he made Wilder his Matchroom team captain becaue he’s hoping to sign him to his stable.
“This guy is one of the most feared fighters in the world, and sometimes everybody writes someone off after a defeat, but it’s the greats that come back. And when I look in his eyes, I see the same dangerous man that for years, I had to try and dampen the flame becaue he wasn’t our guy,” said Hearn.
