- Zhilei Zhang knocked out Deontay Wilder in the fifth round in Saudi Arabia
- It was another disappointing display from the former heavyweight champion.
- A new ringside clip shows the moment Zhang landed the decisive blow.
A new clip shows the brutal moment Zhilei Zhang knocked out Deontay Wilder in their heavyweight fight in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
The two clashed as part of the showdown between Frank Warren’s Queensbury Promotions and Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing in Riyadh.
In what was the main event of the night, the Chinese heavyweight dropped his opponent in the fifth round to secure a clean sweep for Warren.
Although Wilder initially stood up, referee Kieran McCann deemed him unfit to continue.
And, in a new ringside clip shared on social media, the final moments of the fight were captured in gruesome fashion.
The moment Deontay Wilder was knocked out by Zhilei Zhang is shown in new images
Zhang knocked out the former heavyweight champion in the fifth round after a brutal blow
Ringside video showed Wilder complaining to referee Kieran McCann about his opponent.
When Wilder looked away, Zhang, who had done nothing wrong, knocked him down with a big punch.
When a punch from Zhang unbalanced the former world heavyweight champion, Wilder looked away and apparently complained to the referee about his opponent.
However, Zhang was deemed to have done nothing wrong and before long, he jumped up and caught Wilder off guard with a brutal right hook.
This left the 38-year-old on the ground and he was forced to use the rope to get back to his feet when he barely managed to beat the count.
McCann was then heard saying: “Walk towards me”, as the official examined Wilder before shouting: “No, no, no!”, after deciding he was not fit to follow through with the punch.
It could possibly be a career-ending defeat for Wilder, who has now won just one of his last five fights, dating back to 2020.
After losing to Joseph Parker in December, he had previously insisted he would retire if Zhang also beat him and seeing Wilder crumpled to the ground could be the last memory of him inside the ring for boxing fans.
Zhang’s win also ensured Warren took home bragging rights over rival promoter Hearn after a unique night at Saudi Arabia’s Kingdom Arena.
First, Willy Hutchinson beat Craig Richards on points, scoring 116-112, 117-111, 119-109 on the scorecards to make it 1-0 to Team Warren.
Nick Ball then claimed the WBA featherweight world title by beating Ray Ford via split decision, winning 113-115, 115-113, 115-113.
Wilder was seen knocked down inside the ring and was forced to use the rope to get back to his feet.
McCann quickly examined the American, but ruled that he was unfit to continue.
After that came an 11th round knockout of Hamzah Sheeraz against Ammo Williams in their middleweight eliminator fight.
Dmitry Bivol stopped Malik Zinad with his first knockout since 2018, extending his record to 23-0.
In the fifth fight, Daniel Dubois gave Filip Hrgovic a severe beating (with gruesome cuts above both eyes) and claimed the IBF interim heavyweight title with an eighth-round stoppage.
Hearn might have hoped to save face with a Wilder win, but it wasn’t to be, and his crown jewel on the night hardly looked like he wanted to be there.
