Former coach Teddy Atlas says Deontay Wilder’s method betrayed him final Saturday night time, leaving him open to an enormous shot from Zhilei Zhang that led to him being knocked out within the fifth spherical of their heavyweight crossroads struggle in Riyadh.
Atlas notes that Zhang (27-2-1, 22 KOs) saved former WBC champion Wilder (43-4-1, 42 KOs) from getting set by backing him up and nailing him with a proper hook counter within the fifth, which surprised him. Zhang, 41, adopted up with a proper hand that put Wilder flat on his again.
The way in which Wilder was combating, he would get knocked out eventually as a result of he wasn’t throwing punches and getting trapped in opposition to the ropes repeatedly by the 282-lb ‘Large Bang’ Zhang.
The 38-year-old Deontay confirmed zero confidence throughout the struggle. When he did throw a proper hand that was countered by Zhang within the fifth, it was a tentative punch thrown slowly as an alternative of fired off with velocity.
If Wilder had thrown his proper with conviction, the possibilities are that Zhang would have been too sluggish to land his counter. Wilder’s concern received the higher of him, and he paid the worth.
The Deadly Proper Hook Counter
“Whenever you struggle a banger like Wilder, there’s two methods to struggle him. Preserve him off steadiness so he can’t be set to make use of his energy by transferring, or preserve him off steadiness and never let him get set. Zhang did that. He was good,” mentioned former coach Teddy Atlas to Boxing Social, speaking about Deontay Wilder’s fifth-round knockout loss to Zhilei Zhang.
Zhang wasn’t doing something particular contained in the ring final night time. It was extra Wilder being too scared to face his floor and throw his right-hand bombs with conviction. The fitting arms Wilder did throw weren’t thrown with full pressure. He was tentative as a result of he anxious about being countered.
“He backed him up and saved him [Wilder] from getting set,” Atlas mentioned about Zhang. “Wilder’s method betrayed him tonight. He reached in with a proper hand, and he missed and left himself in house, and he received caught with a southpaw proper hook with a pleasant counter-punch,” mentioned Atlas concerning the shot that the 41-year-old Zhang damage Wilder with. ”
Wilder threw a weak jab that got here up brief, after which he tried to land a sluggish proper hand, and that’s when Zhang countered him. Once more, if Wilder had thrown his proper hand rapidly and related along with his jab, Zhang would have probably been too sluggish to land his counter.
“I give Zhang credit score for utilizing that proper hook. Fighters aren’t used to seeing the suitable hook the place it comes from the facet. It’s very laborious to choose up that punch, and Zhang used that. Wilder reached in with a proper hand and left himself broad open to a counter,” mentioned Atlas.
