After retiring from boxing, Tyson has remained in the public eye through various media appearances, including a one-man Broadway show, movie roles, and a popular podcast. His life and career have been marked by both his achievements in the ring and his controversies outside of it.
Op 20 augustus 2022 verloor Zhang van de Kroaat Filip Hrgović door een controversiële jurybeslissing, die gepromoveerd werd tot verplichte uitdager van de IBF-titel. Vervolgens vocht hij op 15 april 2023 tegen de eveneens ongeslagen Britse WBO-interim-titelhouder Joe Joyce. Zhang won het gevecht middels een technische knock-out, nadat de scheidsrechter het gevecht stopte vanwege een ernstige zwelling in het rechteroog van Joyce. Op 23 september 2023 won hij de rematch tegen Joyce door een KO in de derde ronde.
As if Zhilei Zhang wasn’t already intimidating—as if being 6′ 6″ with Thanos-like fists didn’t make your knees rattle, as if back-to-back knockout wins last year over granite-chinned Brit Joe Joyce weren’t enough—on this particular mid-November afternoon, inside a nondescript gun range in northern New Jersey, Zhang has his fingers wrapped around a Sig Sauer P365 XL. Guns, Zhang insists, were never his thing. His trainer, Shaun George, introduced him to recreational shooting a few years ago; Kurt Li, his co-manager, translator and, it turned out, part-time range safety officer, showed him the ropes. The first time he pulled a trigger, his hands trembled.
Wilder shoots a right hand. Zhang a left to the body. Zhang using that size early to push Wilder around. Both men taking their time. This is all about one, single shot from either side. Zhang shoots a left to the body as Wilder retreats out. Wilder fires a right that misses.
“I have never been a big backer of Deontay Wilder… nor Zhilei Zhang. When evaluating both, I feel Zhang is the perfect opponent for Wilder to get his grove back and some of his reputation as a finisher. Wilder has been beaten by good boxers who understand the use of space, and has problem with boxers that are quick fisted or faster with their feet. Zhang is none of those, but I do rate his toughness and ability to deliver shots at close range. I don’t think Zhang can crowd Wilder or cut off the ring, thus leaving that punching space Wilder wants to unfurl his long armed bombs. Unless Wilder is completely shot, I see him avoiding Zhang’s charges and countering at will, eventually catching Zhang so often his corner or referee is forced to step in before the halfway point has been reached. Going with a fifth round stoppage, probably by the referee jumping in as a barrage of punches leaves Zhang helpless in the corner.”
Tonight, Zhang looked slower than he’d been for his two fights against Joyce, and it seemed to take a lot out of him just to throw a few shots every round. Ideally, Zhang should come into the rematch in the 270s. In addition to losing weight, Zhang needs to work on his cardio because he can’t afford to be gassing out after three slow-paced rounds like he did tonight.
“site here’s another intriguing fight in a whole series of 2024 interesting matchups. Two big old guys, two big punchers. This could go a number of ways, and I’m hoping its not a boring, plodding affair. My feeling is that it will go to the other side of the coin. It should provide tense, edge-of-the-seat stuff because of the thudding power each possesses. I would not be at all surprised to see each man knocked down in this one. Wilder looked like he was seriously deteriorating in the match against Parker, who boxed smartly. However, Parker has a whole different skillset than Zhang, so I don’t see the Chinese star being able to use the same strategy. In trying to visualize, I see both landing power shots, but Zhang better able to absorb, and eventually knocking out Wilder somewhere around the eighth round.”
Post Fight: On replay, a lead right hook is what hurt Wilder. He stepped in and just a little inside hook dazed Wilder. Then the running right hook when Wilder was stunned was vicious. A free punch and landed perfectly. Well done.
The tattoo on Tyson’s face is not just a cosmetic piece of jewelry, but a powerful symbol of his personality, resilience and personal journey. It marks an important chapter in his life, reflecting both his struggles and his triumphs. The tattoo has become an integral part of his legacy, serving as a visual representation of the toughness and complexity that defines him.
Today wasn’t a sparring day though, so George put on a pair of gloves himself and went through some situational drills in what was a modified version of punch mitts and technical sparring. Zhang shows patience, waiting for his cue to pull the trigger and fire short punches which he turns over to perfection. George, 43, does his best to move and catch the punches in the palm of his gloves like a punch mitts session but dangers are unavoidable; he once sustained a chipped tooth from a punch Zhang forgot to pull.