Deontay Wilder vs Zhilei Zhang LIVE RESULTS: Wilder brutally KNOCKED OUT in main event – latest updates
DEONTAY WILDER has been devastatingly stopped by Zhilei Zhang in Saudi Arabia.
Zhang battered Wilder from pillar to post from the start and finally ended it with a stunning hook in the fifth round in the headline bout of the Queensberry vs Matchroom 5v5 super card.
Wilder had said if he lost that could be the last you'll see of him in a boxing ring.
- Start time: Main event from 1am BST/ 8pm ET
- TV channels: DAZN PPV/ TNT Sports Box Office
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Toe to toe
Heavyweight contender Filip Hrgovic was a bloody mess following his all-action slugfest with Brit Daniel Dubois for the IBF interim world title.
‘Triple D’ stopped the Croat in the eighth round to set up a potential Wembley showdown with Anthony Joshua later this year.
Bivol vs Beterbiev penned in
Dmitry Bivol will return to Riyadh for a mouth-watering light-heavyweight undisputed showdown with kingpin Artur Beterbiev on October 12 following a clinical stoppage victory against brave challenger Malik Zinad.
Bivol, the WBA and IBO champion, was due to face unified WBC, WBO and IBF champion Beterbiev before the latter was forced to withdraw due to injury.
“We are professional boxers, we have to change tactics at any moment and I had enough time to change my preparations for a different fighter to Beterbiev,” said Bivol.
Warren on victory
Frank Warren is very happy with his win tonight.
Queensberry promoter Frank Warren: “I always we felt we picked a very strong guy.
“My guys were here to win and they did it in style. Some cracking fights, some close fights, fans certainly got their money’s worth. It’s a brilliant concept.
“Eddie will want revenge and we will see what happens but we are keen to do more.”
Wilder KO
Here’s another angle of that brutal KO
DEONTAY WILDER GETS KNOCKED OUT 🤯 | Live NOW | Live on DAZN: Click link in bio to buy.
| | — DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing)
Zhang on his Wilder win
“I would like to thank every friend who came here over the world and fans in China, it is midnight there and you are watching me,” he said.
“I lost to [Joseph] Parker, it was a fair loss. He was the better man that night. I’ve learned since then. As long as the bell doesn’t ring, stay focussed.
“I have to pretend Wilder didn’t have a right hand and I successfully took it away.
“Wilder punches hard, I give him a lot of respect.”
Good afternoon!
What a night in Saudi Arabia where Frank Warren and Queensberry Promotions dominated Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Sport to win the inagural 5v5 in a landslide.
Warren’s boys won all five fights – three of those via stoppage – to leave Hearn licking his wounds.
Daniel Dubois put himself into world title contention, and a possible fight with Anthony Joshua, while Deontay Wilder is now facing calls to retire after a brutal, poor defeat to Zhilei Zhang.
We’ll have all the reaction and fallout from a brilliant night of boxing. Full results were:
- Zhilie Zhang DEF. Deontay Wilder KO
- Daniel Dubois DEF. Filip Hrgovic TKO
- Hamzah Sheeraz DEF. Ammo Williams TKO
- Nick Ball DEF. Raymond Ford
- Willy Hutchinson DEF. Craig Richards
Devastating finish
Queensbury starlet Hamzah Sheeraz closed the show in style to give Frank Warren's side double points in Riyadh last night.
Money man
Queensbury promoter Frank Warren was awarded a $3million cheque in the middle of the ring following his outfit's 10-0 demolition against Eddie Hearn's Matchroom.
Turkhi-Al Sheikh quipped: “Eddie needs to recover now.
"At the end of this month we’ll have a conference in London to announce a big card at Wembley.”
Dubois welcomes AJ challenge
Daniel Dubois is relishing a bout with compatriot Anthony Joshua following his impressive stoppage against Filip Hrgovic last night.
"I've heard the next opponent will be AJ, so bring it on," Dubois told DAZN.
"I'm anxious to become the best, this is my era and my time.
"I'm glad I've got this IBF belt and on to the next."
Ball the world champion
He didn’t have it all his own way last night, but when the going got tough he pulled out the important rounds.
Froch calls for Wilder to retire
Former super-middleweight champion Carl Froch has urged Deontay Wilder to hang up his gloves following his bruising defeat to Zhilei Zhang.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Froch on Fighting, the 'Cobra' said the former WBC heavyweight champion's days as a feared knockout artist appear to be over.
“Wilder now has to be finished," Froch said.
"He got flattened by Zhang and I think that has to be the end of his career.
"He looked a shadow of his former self.”
Super Sheeraz
Queensbury skipper Hamzah Sheeraz put on a masterclass to bloody, bruise, floor and stop Matchroom's Ammo Williams.
Ilford ace Sheeraz’s piston-like jab kept poking at Williams' right eye and it was closing through swelling by the seventh round.
A vicious right hook by Sheeraz left the American dazed and confused, at which point referee Mark Lyson dived in to put an end to the contest with a well-timed stoppage.
Bloody war
Heavyweight contender Filip Hrgovic was a bloody mess following his all-action slugfest with Brit Daniel Dubois for the IBF interim world title.
'Triple D' stopped the Croat in the eighth round to set up a potential Wembley showdown with Anthony Joshua later this year.
Queensberry 10-0 Matchroom
Frank Warren’s team completely demolished Eddie Hearn’s in the early hours in Riyadh.
- Willy Hutchinson UD Craig Richards
- Nick Ball SD Craig Ford
- Hamzah Sheeraz TKO11 Ammo Williams
- Daniel Dubois TKO8 Filip Hrgovic
- Zhilei Zhang KO5 Deontay Wilder
Clinical finish
Dmitry Bivol retained his WBA and IBO belt with a devastating flurry of punches in the sixth round.
The Russian's last stoppage came in March 2018 against Cuban Sullivan Barrera in New York.
Bivol vs Beterbiev penned in
Dmitry Bivol will return to Riyadh for a mouth-watering light-heavyweight undisputed showdown with kingpin Artur Beterbiev on October 12 following a clinical stoppage victory against brave challenger Malik Zinad.
Bivol, the WBA and IBO champion, was due to face unified WBC, WBO and IBF champion Beterbiev before the latter was forced to withdraw due to injury.
"We are professional boxers, we have to change tactics at any moment and I had enough time to change my preparations for a different fighter to Beterbiev," said Bivol.
Joshua watches on
AJ kept a keen eye on all the fights tonight.
And he looks set to fight Daniel Dubois later this year in what will be a massive clash for British boxing.
Joshua vs Dubois
There's going to be a huge Wembley Stadium show announced for September 21 in the coming weeks.
And it's expected the event will be headlined by Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois in a huge all-British match-up.
Dubois is now the IBF interim heavyweight champion and he could be elevated to full champion at some point.
That would give Joshua the opportunity to become a three-time world champion if they meet in September.
Zhang on his Wilder win
"I would like to thank every friend who came here over the world and fans in China, it is midnight there and you are watching me," he said.
"I lost to [Joseph] Parker, it was a fair loss. He was the better man that night. I've learned since then. As long as the bell doesn't ring, stay focussed.
"I have to pretend Wilder didn't have a right hand and I successfully took it away.
"Wilder punches hard, I give him a lot of respect."
Wild ride over?
It was a crushing end to the night for both Deontay Wilder and Matchroom.
Where does Wilder go from here? Retirement looks close to certain.
Warren on victory
Frank Warren is very happy with his win tonight.
Queensberry promoter Frank Warren: "I always we felt we picked a very strong guy.
"My guys were here to win and they did it in style. Some cracking fights, some close fights, fans certainly got their money's worth. It's a brilliant concept.
"Eddie will want revenge and we will see what happens but we are keen to do more."
Hearn speaks on defeat
Hearn said: "The main thing is the card was incredible, we knew it would be. I put on a brave face but I'm gutted.
"We kept clutching at straws here. 5-0 sounds better than 10-0. I want the rematch, I've enjoyed making together. We loved doing this, tonight was incredible.
"We will run it back either in London or here."
Money man
Frank Warren currently being awarded a $3million cheque in the middle of the ring.
Turkhi-Al Sheikh says: "Eddie needs to recover now. At the end of this month we'll have a conference in London to announce a big card at Wembley."
Queensberry 10-0 Matchroom
It's an absolutely brutal scoreline as Frank Warren's team completely demolish Eddie Hearn's.
- Willy Hutchinson UD Craig Richards
- Nick Ball SD Craig Ford
- Hamzah Sheeraz TKO11 Ammo Williams
- Daniel Dubois TKO8 Filip Hrgovic
- Zhilei Zhang KO5 Deontay Wilder
Zhang KNOCKS OUT Wilder
Absolutely huge left hand from Zhang spins Wilder round before the Chinese star follows it up with a right hand to leave Wilder flat on his back.
Incredible finish.