Wilder vs Zhang LIVE: Fight updates and undercard results as Queensberry thrash Matchroom
Re-live updates after Queensberry’s Zhilei Zhang knocked out Deontay Wilder, capping off a thrashing of Matchroom in Riyadh
Zhilei Zhang knocked out Deontay Wilder in the fifth round on Saturday, as Queensberry thrashed Matchroom at a unique event in Saudi Arabia.
The card in Riyadh pitted Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom against Frank Warren’s company, with each promoter picking a five-man team.
American Wilder, a former world heavyweight champion, was Hearn’s captain but suffered a fifth-round KO by China’s Zhang, who capped off a dominant showing from his team.
Zhang, 41, spun around Wilder with a right hook then folded the 38-year-old with another at the Kingdom Arena. Wilder barely beat the referee’s count, but the fight was waved off as the “Bronze Bomber” staggered around.
Earlier in the night, Queensberry captain Hamzah Sheeraz stopped Austin Williams, Daniel Dubois beat Filip Hrgovic by TKO, Nick Ball dethroned WBA featherweight champion Ray Ford, and Willy Hutchinson easily outpointed Craig Richards. Those results, including extra points for captains and knockouts, led to a 10-0 win for Queensberry.
Furthermore, Dubois’s victory claimed him the IBF interim heavyweight title and seemed to set up a September clash with Anthony Joshua. Elsewhere on the card, Dmitry Bivol retained the WBA light-heavyweight belt by stopping Malik Zinad.
Re-live updates and see all results from the event below.
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Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson fight postponed due to heavyweight legend’s health scare
Zhilei Zhang knocks out Deontay Wilder as Queensberry thrash Matchroom in 5 vs 5 event
Wilder vs Zhang LIVE: Updates from Matchroom vs Queensberry fight card
Round nine
Ball chases Ford around the ring. An uppercut gets through for him, underneath a slew of straight punches.
Sharp jab by Ford. Another decent uppercut from Ball, and a clean cross.
Ball eats a few shots then beckons on Ford again. Ball’s white shorts are stained with blood.
Ford ends the round on top.
Wilder vs Zhang LIVE: Updates from Matchroom vs Queensberry fight card
Round eight
A right hook lands for Ball, after a period in which both featherweights couldn’t quite connect clean.
Ball strafes to his left, but he’s timed by Ford, who lands a lovely uppercut! Ball’s legs buckled a little bit there.
Ford pours everything into a pair of right hooks to the mid-section. His accuracy is improving.
Wilder vs Zhang LIVE: Updates from Matchroom vs Queensberry fight card
Round seven
Into the second half of the bout. Ball leaps in with a long left straight. Ford with some light, teasing shots, then a sterner left hook to the body.
Ball retaliates with a prolonged combination of mean shots. The Briton shakes his head at Ford and smiles, after the American lands at close range.
Ford is then warned for aiming an uppercut low. Clean jab for Ball, then a piston uppercut.
OHHH! Huge hook for Ford, and Ball smiles, but his nose is leaking blood! Now an uppercut by Ford!
Ball is firing back, but his mouth is covered in the blood from his nose. Ball beckons Ford on.
That was a very promising moment for Ford.
Wilder vs Zhang LIVE: Updates from Matchroom vs Queensberry fight card
Round six
If Ball can sustain this pressure, he’ll soon have a near-insurmountable lead. The issue would then be whether he’d have expended too much energy to survive the later rounds – but there’s not been enough from Ford yet to suggest that he can really trouble Ball. Let’s see if that changes.
Ball ends the round on top, as he has so often tonight, with Ford stuck on the ropes.
Wilder vs Zhang LIVE: Updates from Matchroom vs Queensberry fight card
Round five
Ball burrows a right hook into the body of Ford, who snaps back the Briton’s head with a lancing jab.
Ball is throwing some clever uppercuts from unusual angles; great footwork to enable these. Ford seems to be cut by his left eye now, as well as his right!
He lands a right uppercut, but Ball comes back with greater volume.
The power and variety of Ball’s offence is so impressive.
Wilder vs Zhang LIVE: Updates from Matchroom vs Queensberry fight card
Round four
Ford has a cut under his right eye. He’s caught by an overhand right now.
A right uppercut lands for Ball after he misses with his initial shots. Ford is still blocking a lot of Ball’s offence, but it will have an effect regardless.
A bigggg left hook lands for Ball. Ford times a couple of jabs nicely. He’s still getting outworked, however. Ball is relentless.
Uppercuts and crosses by Ball, who then unfurls a few body hooks. He might be pulling away...
Wilder vs Zhang LIVE: Updates from Matchroom vs Queensberry fight card
Round three
A scrappy start to this round. Ball opens his guard slighty and peaks through, teasing Ford to open up himself.
Ball walks onto a one-two but retaliates with a prolonged flurry, as he tends to do.
Cross to the body by Ball. He lets his hands go again, with Ford blocking most of the offence – but still feeling it, I’m sure – with the exception of an uppercut.
Now it’s Ford’s turn to throw, and he switches from body to head. A jab pierces Ball’s guard, then Ford swerves around the guard with a right hook to the midriff.
Ball walks onto a jab. A long left hand just about catches Ford, though.
Late in the round, Ball puts together a flurry as Ford leans on the ropes. They’re body shots then a couple to the head.
Wilder vs Zhang LIVE: Updates from Matchroom vs Queensberry fight card
Round two
Ball rushes in to start this round, half-landing an overhand right. Now an overhand left just about gets through the guard of Ford, who is backed up to the ropes.
Ball with a good uppercut now. Great spell for the Liverpudlian. Ford tries his own uppercut, but it’s blocked, and Ball lands a hook.
Ford with a harsh right hook to the body, but Ball fires back with a combination. The Briton is loading up now! He’s getting through, too.
But how much energy is he expending? A fair bit, it seems, as he now slowly edges backwards while Ford gets back on top.
Ball beats Ford to the punch with a jab, though. And again the Briton builds on that with a lot of volume.
Wilder vs Zhang LIVE: Updates from Matchroom vs Queensberry fight card
Round 1
Ford stands southpaw, while Ball is orthodox. Ball comes forward with heavy output early on!
Ford aims to stay calm and fight behind his jab. The pair clinch briefly. They separate, and Ford flicks out that jab on repeat.
The American adds a cross, and Ball’s face is already marked up around his right eye.
Ford with a mean left hook to the body. Ball lands a decent overhand right. His follow-up left hook is blocked, and Ford coomes back with a left hook to the body and one to the head.
Trio of body shots by Ford to end the round.
Wilder vs Zhang LIVE: Updates from Matchroom vs Queensberry fight card
Next up will be Matchroom’s Raymond Ford against Queensberry’s Nick Ball.
American Ford puts the WBA featherweight title on the line against the Briton here.
Ford is 15-0-1 (8 KOs); Ball is 19-0-1 (11 KOs).
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