Zhilei Zhang Weighs in 68.2 Pounds Heavier Than Deontay Wilder Before Boxing Fight

Andrew PetersMay 31, 2024

Richard Pelham/Getty Images

Zhilei Zhang weighed 68.2 pounds heavier than Deontay Wilder at Friday’s weigh-in ahead of the fight between the two on Saturday, per ESPN’s Mike Coppinger.

Zhang weighed in at 282.2 pounds while the former heavyweight champion Wilder came in at 214.6.

The headliner for the Frank Warren-Eddie Hearn 5 vs. 5 event will take place on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

While Zhang will have a major weight advantage, Wilder holds a slight height advantage, standing at 6’7″, an inch taller than Zhang.

Zhang and Wilder are both looking to get back in the win column after dropping their last fights—each to Joseph Parker in upset decisions. Wilder lost to Parker in December in 12 rounds and a unanimous decision while Zhang lost his fight to Parker in March in a majority decision.

Wilder won 42 of his first 43 professional fights and had one draw in that timeframe, but lost back-to-back fights to Tyson Fury in 2020 and 2021. He beat Robert Helenius in 2022 before losing to Parker last year.

Zhang’s only other loss of his career came against Filip Hrgović in 2022. Before losing to Parker in March, he won a pair of fights against Joe Joyce in 2023. He was the WBO interim heavyweight champion from 2023 until his fight with Parker.

The two boxers have 63 knockouts between them, so there will be plenty of intrigue heading into the fight. Zhang’s weigh-in adds just another storyline.