A spectacular night of boxing occurred at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena. Zhilei Zhang emphatically stopped Deontay Wilder in Saudi Arabia in the 5th round. This latest loss to the 38 year old American; would also most likely signify the end of a career for the former World Champion. The event; held during the Riyadh Season, showcased the best of professional boxing in Saudi Arabia.
Part of the ground-breaking 5v5 team event between Frank Warren’s Queensberry and Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom, Eddie would see his promotion get dominated. Further more, the knockout of Wilder would be the metaphorical icing on the cake for Queenberry.
A White Wash
The 5v5 format, an unprecedented approach in professional boxing, added a unique competitive edge to the event. Queensberry emerged victorious with a 10-0 sweep over Matchroom, The Queensberry team secured three consecutive wins with contributions from Willy Hutchinson, Hamzah Sheeraz, and Nick Ball, with Dubois’ knockout sealing the team triumph.
Deontay Wilder vs Zhilei Zhang
In the main event, former heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder suffered a potentially career-ending fifth-round stoppage loss to Zhilei Zhang. Wilder, appeared a shadow of his former self, unable to continue after being counted out. This loss further underscored the dominance of Warren’s Queensberry team over Hearn’s Matchroom.
Dmitry Bivol vs Malik Zinad
Dmitry Bivol scored his first finish in his last 10 fights, with a 6th round TKO of challenger Malik Zinad. Originally this was a bout that was set between Bivol and Artur Beterbiev. Zinad would be a late replacement o take on the champion. The 33 year old Russian would stun Zinad with a powerful left hook followed by a barrage that would stop the action. The win would allow Bivol to retain his WBA light heavyweight title. The champion is now set to face off against Artur Beterbiev on October 12th for the undisputed WBA Light heavyweight title. Consequently, Turki, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment also stated that Zinad would get another bout in Saudi Arabia later this year for his valiant efforts.
5 vs 5
The event also featured other high-stakes bouts, including Hamzah Sheeraz’s victory over Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams in a WBC middleweight eliminator, and Dmitry Bivol’s successful defence of his WBA light-heavyweight title against Malik Zinad. Daniel Dubois would also stop Filip Hrgovic in the 6th round too. Nick Ball secured a split decision win over Raymond Ford for the WBA featherweight strap, and Willy Hutchinson triumphed over Craig Richards in a light-heavyweight battle. In conclusion; this would be mark an incredibly success night for Queenberry CEO; Frank Warren.
The success of the event in Riyadh showcased the high level of boxing talent but also highlighted Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in the world of sports. In summary, Saudi Arabia’s commitment to hosting major sporting events continues to attract global attention consequently paving the way for more such team-based boxing events in the future.
Full Results
Zhilei Zhang def. Deontay Wilder via fifth-round TKO (1:51)
Daniel Dubois def. Filip Hrgovic via eighth-round TKO (0:57)
Dmitry Bivol def. Malik Zinad via sixth-round TKO (2:06)
Hamzah Sheeraz def. Austin Williams via 11th-round TKO (0:45)
Nick Ball def. Raymond Ford via split decision (113-115, 115-113 x2)
Willy Hutchinson def. Craig Richards via unanimous decision (116-112, 117-111, 119-109)
