Famed trainer turned analyst Teddy Atlas has logged his prediction for this weekend’s main event in Riyadh – Deontay Wilder versus Zhilei Zhang.
The battle of two of the heaviest hitters in the division comes much closer to the end of their campaigns than the start. In fact, at 38 and 41 years of age, a loss here could be career ending.
Speaking on his podcast The Fight, Atlas pointed out that neither man is at his best and the evidence was in their last fights against a shared opponent in Joseph Parker.
“Neither guy is a spring chicken. They’re showing their age a little bit, and where they’re showing it tangibly in their performance is with endurance, offensive consistency, or lack of.
Zhang, with Parker, he tired down the stretch, He had dropped him early in the fight, but he wasn’t able to consistently, steadily maintain his offensive posture. He tired.”
Wilder is showing the same signs where he wasn’t able to offensively maintain a consistent pace throughout the Parker fight. Wilder has some other issues that he’s always had, but he’s overcome it with one great asset – power.
That great eraser. It’s as good as any puncher has ever had probably in the history of the sport. The problem is his overall surrounding technique in other areas is not that supportive … Those tough fights have taken something out of him.”
He went on to predict a Zhang win, in what should be an ‘interesting as hell fight’.
“At the end of the day I’m going to take Zhang, with a lot of trepidation because one punch changes everything. Having said that Zhang is a southpaw and what is the southpaw killer? The right hand and Wilder has the right hand.
It’s an interesting as hell fight. It’s obviously a career fight for both guys. I’m gonna favour Zhang. I’m picking Zhang.”
