‘Eventually he burns out’: Wilder only expects a strong first half from Zhang

Deontay Wilder says once Zhang fatigues, it will likely be over for him.

As Deontay Wilder gears up for his June 1 fight against Zhilei Zhang, he tells Sky Sports he fully expects a win to put him right back in the mix with all the top heavyweights. That includes a potential fourth fight against Tyson Fury and maybe even perhaps a fight against Oleksandr Usyk.

That, however, will only be a realistic possibility if he has a good showing against Zhang, whom he’s expecting to bring his best effort — even if only for about the first half of the fight.

“I’m expecting his A plus plus game, I like Zhang, I like him as a fighter and what he presents inside the ring,” Wilder told Sky Sports.

“Eventually he burns out and that might be the end of him dealing with a fighter like me, I can go. I like him, I like the fight, I love that he’s a hard hitter, I am as well and may the best man win.”

Zhang’s endurance has been questionable for some time now. In fact, since 2019 he hasn’t won a fight that’s gone longer than six rounds. That pretty much spells out the boom or bust nature of Zhang, who doesn’t have much to offer in the later rounds but can be a serious threat in the early going.

If Wilder can secure a win here and move on to bigger prospects, he believes a prospective bout against Usyk would be an easier task than Fury, but also adds in the point that styles makes fights and that there’s always an element of surprise when you’re in with someone you’ve had no prior experience with.

Wilder can’t put the cart before the horse though, so he’ll have to prove he’s still able to do what he’s best known for before bigger opportunities present themselves.