Tony Bellew Praises HE Turki Alalshikh for Potential Matchup Between Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang
Follow Us
Two heavyweight clashes between top contenders are on the verge of becoming official, promising a night of knockouts in the scorching heat of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Deontay Wilder, the hard-hitting former champion, will trade punches with Zhilei Zhang, in a battle of the top heavyweights. In the other ring, Filip Hrgovic and Daniel Dubois are in talks for a clash against each other.
Hrgovic, the Croatian contender, brings his granite chin and heavy hands, while Dubois, the young British prospect, boasts lightning-fast speed and thunderous power. These two exciting matchups will serve as the sizzling undercard for the highly anticipated undisputed light heavyweight championship clash between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol on June 1st. However, former boxing champion Tony Bellew is quite excited about the other matchup between Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang.
Deontay Wilder vs. Zhilei Zhang: A chance to become a contender again
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Tony Bellew, the former WBC cruiserweight champion, credits the exciting matchup to the matchmaking skills of His Excellency Turki Alalshikh. Mainly because these two fighters have their backs against the ropes and are in a desperate battle for relevance. Deontay Wilder, the former champion known for his terrifying knockout power, and Zhilei Zhang, China’s rising star, both suffered stinging losses to Joseph Parker in their last outings.
#WilderZhang is a proper crossroads fight if it comes off! Both have nowhere to go with another loss! A win for either probably puts them back into contender status.. Great fight either way and once again brilliant matchmaking from @Turki_alalshikh 👏
— Tony Bellew (@TonyBellew) March 23, 2024
These defeats shattered the possibilities of future mega-fights and left their heavyweight dreams hanging by a thread. So, this storyline is too interesting for Bellew. On X, he wrote, “#WilderZhang is a proper crossroads fight if it comes off! Both have nowhere to go with another loss! A win for either probably puts them back into contender status.. Great fight either way and once again brilliant matchmaking from @Turki_alalshikh.”
Trending
Joe Rogan Sums Up Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul in One Line
May 11, 2024 06:53 PM EDT
Watch: Ryan Garcia’s Mother Brought to Tears After Son’s Antagonizing Post About George Kambosos Jr’s Wife Draws Scathing Response From Veteran Promoter
May 13, 2024 08:47 AM EDT
Mike Tyson Reveals Real Reason He Didn’t Try to Intimidate Jake Paul During First Face Off
May 14, 2024 09:49 AM EDT
“Financial Bloodbath”: Canelo Alvarez’s Reported PPV Numbers for Jaime Munguia Bout Raises Questions Over His Fight Purse
May 12, 2024 04:58 AM EDT
Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury Stats Comparison and Prediction: Record, Age, Height, Reach, Weight, and Knockout Ratio
May 14, 2024 07:55 AM EDT
Get instantly notified of the hottest Boxing stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.
Follow Us
This would be a great matchup, as it’ll draw a lot of attention and it’ll initiate a redemption arc for either of the boxers. However, even Hrgovic vs. Dubois is a fight that will generate a lot of hype for the event.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Filip Hrgovic needs to assert his dominance again
Filip Hrgovic faces a risky challenge against Daniel Dubois. With Hrgovic eyeing the IBF title held by Oleksandr Usyk, risking it all against Dubois is a bold move. Dubois, fresh off a convincing win over Jarrell Miller, is brimming with confidence and power. So, this automatically makes him a formidable opponent.
Hrgovic, on the other hand, hasn’t seen action since December, when he quickly dispatched Mark De Mori. That bout raised eyebrows due to 42-year-old De Mori’s lack of competitiveness, leaving fans eager to see Hrgovic tested against a legitimate threat like Dubois. Now, with their clash set on the undercard of the Dmitry Bivol vs. Artur Beterbiev fight in Saudi Arabia, the stage is set for a showdown that could significantly alter both of their careers.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Now it remains to be seen whether it’d be for the good or the bad. Which one is your favorite fight out of these two undercard fights? Do you agree with Tony Bellew about the relevance of Wilder vs. Zhang? Let us know in the comments section.
Edited by:
Gokul Pillai