Some in boxing circles called Zhilei Zhang’s win over Joe Joyce a straight-up fluke. But after running things back and icing him once more, Zhang (26-1-1, 21 KOs) has made a believer out of practically everyone.
The now 40-year-old is sitting back and weighing his options. In the process of doing so, he decided to watch his fellow heavyweight contemporaries get it on.
This past weekend, Saudi Arabia played host to some of the best heavyweights in the world. Although Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder were the headliners in separate bouts, it was Jarrell Miller vs. Daniel Dubois who made the most noise.
Miller jumped onto the scales weighing over 330 pounds and began flexing at the crowd. Shortly after, he got into the face of Dubois and nearly pushed him off stage. The weigh-in theatrics, coupled with his brazen trash talk, made Dubois vs. Miller must-see television.
Miller, despite promising a beatdown, was myopic on offense, leading to a 10th-round stoppage loss. Immediately after, Dubois (20-2, 19 KOs) began calling out all of the division’s top names. Absent from his list, however, was Zhang.
Ultimately, the 40-year-old contender doesn’t feel slighted. Considering Dubois’ age, Zhang believes he should steer clear of him. At least for now.
“It might be too early for him to get in the ring with me,” Zhang told BoxingScene.com. “I can see his potential. Maybe one or two fights down the line but right now it’s probably a bit early.”
Dubois, 26, needed something to feel good about. He also needed to change the narrative surrounding his career. While he may have just two losses plastered to his record, Dubois has been accused of quitting against both Joe Joyce and Oleksandr Usyk.
Now, after digging deep to become the first man to stop Miller, the naysayers haven’t had much to say. Zhang admits that Dubois looked sharp and powerful. He also acknowledges that Dubois is one of the best heavyweights out there. With that said, the Chinese native is confident that he’ll barely break a sweat in a showdown against him.
“It should be pretty easy.”
By Hans Themistode