Zhilei Zhang knocked out Deontay Wilder and now many people think Wilder should retire. But Zhang doesn't agree.
Wilder used to be the WBC Heavyweight World Champion for a long time. He didn't lose a fight until he faced Tyson Fury. Wilder lost two out of three fights against Fury by stoppage. After taking some time off, Wilder came back and knocked out Robert Helenius in the first round. But then he lost on points to Joseph Parker after another year away from boxing. Most recently, Zhang knocked him out in five rounds.
Now, some big names in boxing think it's time for Wilder to hang up his gloves. Lennox Lewis and Tyson Fury have said Wilder should retire because of how he's looked in his last two fights.
But Zhang doesn't think it's that simple. He told Box Nation:
"I think it's a little fast to say he should permanently retire from boxing already, because it's been only half a year since his last fight. I think he's still recovering and putting the pieces together. Whatever happens to him, I wish him the best. Whether or not he fighting I just hope for the best for him."
Zhang thinks Wilder needs more time to figure things out. He points out that it's only been six months since Wilder's last fight.
Wilder has said he'll keep fighting. He blames some of his recent losses on injuries. There's talk he might fight Francis Ngannou or Anthony Joshua next.
As for Zhang, he's got a big fight coming up. He'll face Agit Kabayel on February 22, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. They'll be fighting for the WBC Interim Heavyweight Title. The winner will get a shot at whoever comes out on top in the rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.
