Zhilei Zhang thinks Oleksandr Usyk might have a slight edge over Tyson Fury in their upcoming rematch. The Chinese heavyweight shared his thoughts on the fight set for December.
Zhang, known as "Big Bang," has made a name for himself recently. He stopped Deontay Wilder in the fifth round in June and scored two back-to-back knockout wins against Joe Joyce in 2023. Now, he's keeping a close eye on the heavyweight division's biggest fights.
The first Usyk-Fury bout took place in Saudi Arabia. It was a close, back-and-forth battle that went the full 12 rounds. One decisive round went to Usyk when he landed a big shot that sent Fury to the ropes. In the end, Usyk got the win and added the undisputed heavyweight title to his collection.
But Usyk had to give up the IBF belt to get this rematch with Fury. The winner of their December fight could go after Daniel Dubois next to try and get that IBF title back.
Zhang shared his thoughts on the rematch:
"I think both fighters are great and they did great in their last fight but I think skills pay the bills in this business and Usyk definitely has the skills."
He went on to break down why he's leaning towards Usyk:
"He moves around, has light feet, he punches a lot, a lot of combinations. He has his number. Fury is good too, he has his skills, but I'm slightly leaning towards Usyk."
Usyk's got a strong boxing background. He won an Olympic gold medal and was the undisputed champion at cruiserweight before moving up to heavyweight. Now, he's the current undisputed heavyweight champ (minus that IBF belt he had to give up).
While Zhang gives Fury credit for his skills, he didn't go into detail about what the "Gypsy King" brings to the table. The rematch promises to be another close contest between two of boxing's top heavyweights.
Zhang's recent win over Wilder has put him in a good position to potentially face the winner of Usyk-Fury down the line. For now, he'll have to wait and see how the rematch plays out in December.
