Deontay Wilder is set to face Zhilei Zhang in the main event of the Queensberry and Matchroom 5 vs. 5 pay-per-view card this Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
DEONTAY WILDER (43-3-1, 42 KOs) VS. ZHILEI ZHANG (26-2-1, 21 KOs)
Date: Saturday, June 1
Time: 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT (main event later in the show)
Where: Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
TV/Stream: DAZN Pay-Per-View
Division: Heavyweight (no limit)
At stake: No major titles
Boxing Junkie Pound-for-pound: None
Odds: Zhang 1½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Significance (up to five stars): *****
Also on the card: Filip Hrgovic vs. Daniel Dubois, heavyweights; Dmitry Bivol vs. Malik Zinad, light heavyweights (for Bivol’s WBA title); Raymond Ford vs. Nick Ball, featherweights (for Ford’s WBA title); Austin Williams vs. Hamzah Sheeraz, middleweights; Craig Richards vs. Willy Hutchinson, light heavyweights.
Background: Dmitry Bivol was originally scheduled to fight fellow 175-pound titleholder Artur Beterbiev in the main event of the Queensberry and Matchroom 5 vs. 5 card. However, the matchup was postponed due to an injury Beterbiev sustained during training. Despite this setback, the show will go on with Deontay Wilder facing Zhilei Zhang in the main event, and Bivol defending his title against Malik Zinad in a stay-busy fight.
Wilder finds himself at a crucial juncture in his career. The powerful former heavyweight champion has a record of 1-3 in his last four fights, with knockout losses to Tyson Fury in 2020 and 2021, and a lopsided decision loss to Joseph Parker on the Anthony Joshua-Otto Wallin card in December. The 38-year-old from Alabama’s only win in the last four-plus years came via a first-round knockout of Robert Helenius in October 2022. A win over Zhang could pave the way for another title shot, while a loss could spell the end of his time as a top-tier fighter, especially if he fails to be competitive.
Zhang, a 41-year-old from China, gained considerable momentum with back-to-back knockouts of Joe Joyce last year. However, he took a step back with a majority decision loss to Parker, despite knocking him down twice in March. A victory here would keep Zhang in the running for a title fight.
Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs), ranked No. 4 pound-for-pound, is expected to have little trouble with Zinad (22-0, 16 KOs). The Malta-based Libyan boasts a perfect record but is facing a significant step up in competition. Zinad is currently ranked No. 2 by the IBF.
Also on the card, Filip Hrgovic (17-0, 14 KOs) and Daniel Dubois (20-2, 19 KOs) will compete to maintain their status as top contenders. Hrgovic, a 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, is coming off a first-round knockout of Mark De Mori on the Joshua-Wallin card. Dubois rebounded from his knockout loss to Oleksandr Usyk by stopping Jarrell Miller in the 10th and final round, also on the Joshua-Wallin show.
At 126 pounds, titleholder Raymond Ford (15-0-1, 8 KOs) will defend his belt against Nick Ball (19-0-1, 8 KOs). Ford, a 25-year-old from New Jersey, is coming off a sensational last-second stoppage of Otabek Kholmatov to win the vacant WBA title. Ball, a 27-year-old from the U.K., recently fought to a split draw against WBC beltholder Rey Vargas and previously outpointed Isaac Dogboe.
ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK
FRIDAY
Brandon Adams vs. Francisco Veron, junior middleweights, Houston (DAZN)
SATURDAY
Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal, light heavyweights, Inglewood, California (pay-per-view)