Could the “Big ****” pull off the Huge upset tonight?

[Willow The Wisp]

I've watched that fight twice. Zhang won that fight.

[Dr. Z]

I've watched that fight twice. Zhang won that fight.

No he didn't. It nice that 340 million people form China saw it. The promoters must be salivating. But Zhang did not win the fight, and anyone who thinks he did can't score a fight.

I like to see your card and how you gave Zhang 6 rounds which he needed to win the fight! He won four rounds and one of the could have gone either way. Where is you round by round card?

[Ivich]

I've watched that fight twice. Zhang won that fight.

I thought it was pretty close but just gave it to Hrgovic. Both can **** but are very basic. Both were facing their first real live test,

[billeau2]

Personally, I haven't really thought so since this fight was made, at all....but looking it over I've got to give him at least a shot.

He's an underdog tonight. We all understand that.

But BoxRec's number 19 contender Zhilei Zhang looks and sounds Confident! Really confident!

For China and For Boxing, an upset could be a big Deal tonight.

Imagine China, the world's most populous nation having a live horse in the Heavyweight race.

A win, even a narrow one over BoxRec's number 37 Hrgovic, the much more written about fighter, would catapult “The Big ****” into the title picture, as a frontrunner for a lucrative (to whoever he gets a shot against) Championship fight; likely to be held in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou or Hong Kong in an epically proportioned event; used to celebrate China's world placement and status.




He is already a national treasure there, with a 21-0-1 (19 KO's) pro record and is an Olympic Silver medalist, has fought in every world championships of the 2000's, and has wins over Joseph Parker, Ivan Dychko, Vyacheslav Glazkov, Erik Pfeifer, Islam Timurziev, Sardor Abdullaev, Con Sheehan & Sean Turner.

At 6'6” 277 he's had “the best training camp of my career”, and although I have my doubts about his chances tonight, I have to consider the possibility of his rising to the occasion; and I can imagine what it would mean to the Chinese people to have an athlete, much less a heavyweight boxing contender, to rise to the global fame level that a win tonight would take him to.




Everyone is focused on the historic main event tonight and I am to; but the Zhilei Zhang vs. Hrgovic lead in could make some Big **** history too.

A great prediction... he could easily have been declared the winner.

[Ivich]

A great prediction... he could easily have been declared the winner.

It was close enough that a decision either way would not have been a robbery,imo

[Willow The Wisp]

Another chance....Don't be sleeping on the Big ****!!!! A billion followers can't by wrong.

Seriously, the Hrgovic fight could've gone either way on the cards and the huge, well rounded, pedigreed amateur has shown his potential at the top, and he is healthy, beatings-free and driven hard to bring international sporting glory to the Chinese people. He might just be a little bit faster than Juggernaut Joe and just as big, just as durable; and with newfound knowledge that he can hang in with the best, he knows if he can stay a step ahead, pile up the points, not gas out and outwork his man, China could have it's very first true world sports hero. This could get very interesting. I like this fight!

[QueensburyRules]

Another chance....Don't be sleeping on the Big ****!!!! A billion followers can't by wrong.

Seriously, the Hrgovic fight could've gone either way on the cards and the huge, well rounded, pedigreed amateur has shown his potential at the top, and he is healthy, beatings-free and driven hard to bring international sporting glory to the Chinese people. He might just be a little bit faster than Juggernaut Joe and just as big, just as durable; and with newfound knowledge that he can hang in with the best, he knows if he can stay a step ahead, pile up the points, not gas out and outwork his man, China could have it's very first true world sports hero. This could get very interesting. I like this fight!

- - NewsFlash: Big punchers always have decent chances in any fight as Big George proved in his comeback.

[Willow The Wisp]

Last week, I posted my prediction:

The ref won't factor but the judges will. I'm going with Zhilei Zhang by UD because they have virtually identical size, chin, Amateur pedigree, motivation and talent; but Zhang is faster. If Zhang has mastered his conditioning and stamina, he is going to pile up the points insurmountably and master The Juggernaut Joe Joyce. China is about to get their greatest athlete in history.

This was installment two of my Big **** Theory (couldn't resist).

But I was proven correct on both occasions, as Zhang first battered the number 2 new gen contender Filip Hrgovic to the canvas, and the bigoted decision has by now been essentially forgotten, and then this Saturday, he dismantled and destroyed Britain's next great heavyweight Joe Joyce with clinical excellence.

At this point, I give the 6'6" 280 pound Chinese sensation by far the best chance of any man on earth at unseating the undefeated heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
I don't see the smaller Oleksandr Usyk as too much of a threat, great boxer though he may be, and I'm not excited about a fouth Fury vs Wilder clash.
The class of fighters like Whyte, Ortiz, Sanchez, Joshua, Ruiz, Parker, Bakole, Ajagba; not good enough for Tyson Fury or Zhilei Zhang at this point, from what I observe.

Joe Joyce, who was ranked between no. 2 and no. 5 depending; would certainly agree.

So who's had a better 12 months than Zhang in the sport's flagship weight class?
Cut through both Hrgovic and Joyce, the best of the rest of the new generation.
Zhang's manager Tommy Lane, son of American refereeing legend Miles Lane, said: “Zhang Zhilei has taken on two really tough tests in the past year, two that most top heavyweights have shied away from, and he beat both of them up".
That's a fact.

What may have been overlooked in all the shake up & excitement is how immense this plot twist actually is for boxing; with 60 Million live (affordable TikTok PPV) views sold within China! Compare that to the UFCs record setting views of just 2.4 million for UFC 229. And they used to call THAT a "fast growing sport".

With Zhilei Zhang comming off a "loss", the Chinese certainly did not abandon their interest in the greatest combat warrior in their long and storied warrior culture. Now, he is the most famous celebrity in China.

Tyson Fury needs to unselfishly button this fight up, and get ready for war in what will unquestionably be the most highly anticipated single day sporting event in history.

If plastic belt collector Usyk or pasive Countryman Joshua are still around for the winner after the East-West Smash up is held; then fine and dandy; but those fights have become afterthoughts.

[Willie Pep 229]

Last week, I posted my prediction:



This was installment two of my Big **** Theory (couldn't resist).

But I was proven correct on both occasions, as Zhang first battered the number 2 new gen contender Filip Hrgovic to the canvas, and the bigoted decision has by now been essentially forgotten, and then this Saturday, he dismantled and destroyed Britain's next great heavyweight Joe Joyce with clinical excellence.

At this point, I give the 6'6" 280 pound Chinese sensation by far the best chance of any man on earth at unseating the undefeated heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
I don't see the smaller Oleksandr Usyk as too much of a threat, great boxer though he may be, and I'm not excited about a fouth Fury vs Wilder clash.
The class of fighters like Whyte, Ortiz, Sanchez, Joshua, Ruiz, Parker, Bakole, Ajagba; not good enough for Tyson Fury or Zhilei Zhang at this point, from what I observe.

Joe Joyce, who was ranked between no. 2 and no. 5 depending; would certainly agree.

So who's had a better 12 months than Zhang in the sport's flagship weight class?
Cut through both Hrgovic and Joyce, the best of the rest of the new generation.
Zhang's manager Tommy Lane, son of American refereeing legend Miles Lane, said: “Zhang Zhilei has taken on two really tough tests in the past year, two that most top heavyweights have shied away from, and he beat both of them up".
That's a fact.

What may have been overlooked in all the shake up & excitement is how immense this plot twist actually is for boxing; with 60 Million live (affordable TikTok PPV) views sold within China! Compare that to the UFCs record setting views of just 2.4 million for UFC 229. And they used to call THAT a "fast growing sport".

With Zhilei Zhang comming off a "loss", the Chinese certainly did not abandon their interest in the greatest combat warrior in their long and storied warrior culture. Now, he is the most famous celebrity in China.

Tyson Fury needs to unselfishly button this fight up, and get ready for war in what will unquestionably be the most highly anticipated single day sporting event in history.

If plastic belt collector Usyk or pasive Countryman Joshua are still around for the winner after the East-West Smash up is held; then fine and dandy; but those fights have become afterthoughts.

Na! No Chinaman's first-time shot at the HW title gets that much attention from the casuals.

Also it doesn't help that Fury is the ideal of the Brits and not the Americans, and that the Chinese guy will be unknown.

The fight will likely be a bigger deal on this forum than on the world stage.

The Chinaman will be a successful novelty fight that will garner attention and make money, but American fans will never see it as 'a fight of the century.'

That will come only when we have reason to believe that the chinaman is actually great.

That big fight is a couple of Chinese fighters down the road.

Louis-Schmeling II was a 'fight of the century' because Der Max had stepped up and defeated the thunder bolt Joe Louis earlier.

A Fury-Chinaman fight is at best a novelty. If he, the Chinaman wins that fight, then we'll be able to build towards a 'fight of the century.'

First time out, just a novelty.

[Willow The Wisp]

Na! No Chinaman's first-time shot at the HW title gets that much attention from the casuals.

Also it doesn't help that Fury is the ideal of the Brits and not the Americans, and that the Chinese guy will be unknown.

The fight will likely be a bigger deal on this forum than on the world stage.

The Chinaman will be a successful novelty fight that will garner attention and make money, but American fans will never see it as 'a fight of the century.'

That will come only when we have reason to believe that the chinaman is actually great.

That big fight is a couple of Chinese fighters down the road.

Louis-Schmeling II was a 'fight of the century' because Der Max had stepped up and defeated the thunder bolt Joe Louis earlier.

A Fury-Chinaman fight is at best a novelty. If he, the Chinaman wins that fight, then we'll be able to build towards a 'fight of the century.'

First time out, just a novelty.

Geez Geezers, A little racist there, no? Its a fast changing world my friend, and if Zhang beats Fury; he becomes the face of the new order.