Zhilei Zhang will no longer face Philip Hergovic, who pulled out of the fight on Monday.
In what has always been considered one of boxing’s two biggest holidays, we’re approaching a weekend in Cinco de Mayo, which can only mean one thing; Set to fight Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (57-1-2). If you’re a fighter trying to get some sparkle in his career, this is the card to have, which leads us to Chinese heavyweight contender Zhilei Zhang (23-0-1)
Zhang fits the description of the current crop of heavyweights at 6’6″ and weighs more than 250 pounds. He is one of the amateurs who won the silver medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and was knocked out in the 2012 Olympics quarter-finals by former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (24-2). Defeat is still fresh in his mind until the day comes when he has the opportunity to avenge his loss.
Who is Zhilei Zhang, and how did he get into the sport of boxing? My family lives in China, and I came here a few years ago to fight. I live, train and fight here in the US, but I come back to visit (China) sometimes. China has been on the fast track for the past 30 years to include sports.”
Zhang continued, “Growing up, I was a kayaker, but I turned to boxing at a very young age. It was a coincidence because my body got too big for that little boat, so I turned to boxing. The 39-year-old told FanSided, Who celebrated his birthday on Monday, “If anyone is interested in visiting China, you are all welcome.”
Zhilei Zhang will now face Scott Alexander on the fight card Canelo Alvarez.
When I read about the loss to Anthony Joshua, it sparked my curiosity to ask about that fight since Joshua reached the top of the mountain, so to speak, and Zhang was still climbing for his shot. Zhang told FanSided, “I really want to do it again because it’s an unfinished business. I knew it was from the host country (London), so I had to win by knockout. My mindset changed as if I was looking for a knockout, it might not happen.” So, wrong strategy and wrong mentality. He was the better guy that night. Fighting him again is what got me excited.”
When Zhang is scheduled to fight somewhere, a funny thing happens no matter where he is; Tons of fans, especially those of Chinese or ethnic Chinese descent, come to support and introduce him. That was true last November when Craig Lewis (14-5-1) fought at the Hulu Theater inside Madison Square Garden. Zhang said simply, “Maybe they just like me and my personality” (laughs) when asked about the fan support he gets in these fights.
While preparing for this camp, Zhang decided to take his entire team to Florida to prepare for his fight against Filip Hrgovic (14-0), the FIFA title elimination player. A fight rejected by the four heavyweights but Zhang did not hesitate to fight it. With fighting week approaching, the news came out BoxingScene.com that Hergovic withdrew from the fight due to the death of his father a few weeks earlier. Zhang could go home and wait for the rescheduling, but he didn’t want to waste the training camp he had just finished running.
Burning Midnight Oil, so to speak, Zhang’s team worked hard to try to save the history of the fight. They went through the process with the Nevada State Commission to file names and turned them down until they finally got Scott Alexander (16-4-2).
Alexander was not the opponent Zhang trained with, but the hope is that he presents a similar technique that prepares him to take on Hergovic when it is rescheduled. It’s not a dull moment in boxing, but Zhang recalled it when he told FanSided, “I’m well prepared, and although I can’t promise the outcome because anything can happen, it will be a great fight. Tune in with my fight on DAZN.”
Ultimate Fighter returns May 3 and can be watched on ESPN+ every Tuesday.
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