But following three wins over domestic-level opposition last year, Parker (35-3, 23 KOs) punctuated the campaign with a dominant victory over Wilder in a major upset. And now, Parker is positioned for another crack at a heavyweight title on the heels of another upset win.
Zhang was scheduled to fight Filip Hrgović in an IBF title eliminator on 7 May 2022. However, Hrgović pulled out of the fight on 2 May, after his father died and his training suffered. Scott Alexander was chosen as the replacement on the Canelo Álvarez vs. Dmitry Bivol undercard, with the fight being dropped from the co-main to the undercard. Zhang won the bout via first-round knockout. His fight against Hrgović was rescheduled for 20 August 2022, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua II. On that night, Zhang knocked Hrgović down in the first round with a big right. After a close-fought battle over twelve rounds, the judges awarded the fight to Hrgović with two scores of 115–112 and one of 114–113, in what was described as a “generous” decision by broadcaster Sky Sports after a “bizarre” performance by Hrgović.
5:02 p.m. ET/ 10:02 p.m. GMT: The third fight features a battle of unbeaten middleweights. Austin “Ammo” Williams (Matchroom) takes on Hamzah Sheeraz (Queensberry). We return to round-by-round scoring for this 12-round bout.
Round 8: Richards responding to his corner’s cries that Hutchinson is tiring. The Scotsman has never been beyond seven rounds in his career. BIG shot lands from Hutchinson. Left hand scores from Hutchinson and off the center line. The pace has slowed down perceptibly, but the pattern of the fight hasn’t changed.
Con sus posibilidades, su carrera estaba en Estados Unidos. De hecho, sólo ha peleado cuatro veces como profesional en su país. Se pasó al pugilismo rentado con 31 años, pese a ello le fueron llevando la carrera con calma. Él siempre ha mantenido que la edad no importa si te cuidas. En su caso está en lo cierto, ya que poco a poco fue creciendo. En 2018 vivió un punto de inflexión. Sufrió cáncer en la tiroides y estuvo un año sin competir. Aquí volvió a demostrar su talante, no comunicó nada y pasó la enfermedad con la mayor discreción.
Er blieb bis Mitte 2022 in 25 Kämpfen ungeschlagen und siegte 19-mal vorzeitig. 17 seiner Gegner wiesen eine positive Kampfbilanz auf. Seine bedeutendsten Siege erzielte er gegen den australischen Kampfsportveteran Peter Graham , den ukrainischen EM-Herausforderer Andriy Rudenko und den US-amerikanischen Olympiateam-Kapitän von 2004, Devin Vargas. Den Kampf gegen Vargas bestritt er bereits unter dem Banner seines neuen Promoters Eddie Hearn (Matchroom), sein Trainer zu diesem Zeitpunkt war Shaun George.
On October 6, 2023, the IBF confirmed they would strip the winner of the Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury heavyweight championship unification bout, should the winner not immediately make a mandatory title defense against Hrgović. Hrgović faced Mark de Mori in a stay-busy fight on the undercard of Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin, on December 23, 2023 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was his first fight as a free agent, as his promotional agreement with Wasserman Boxing expired on November 2. On the night of the fight, Hrgović was able to knock de Mori down in the very first minute of the opening round. The referee stopped the fight at the 1:44 minute mark of the first round, after Hrgović knocked his opponent down for the second time.
Op 20 augustus 2022 verloor Zhang van de Kroaat Filip Hrgović door een controversiële jurybeslissing, die gepromoveerd werd tot verplichte uitdager van de IBF-titel. Vervolgens vocht hij op 15 april 2023 tegen de eveneens ongeslagen Britse WBO-interim-titelhouder joe joyce parents Joyce. Zhang won het gevecht middels een technische knock-out, nadat de scheidsrechter het gevecht stopte vanwege een ernstige zwelling in het rechteroog van Joyce. Op 23 september 2023 won hij de rematch tegen Joyce door een KO in de derde ronde.
Following Zhang’s victory, reports stated that a bout between himself and Tyson Fury were being discussed. On 29 June an immediate rematch was announced for 23 September at Wembley Arena in London, England for the same title. Tyson Fury took to social media to offer Joyce sparring following the announcement.
Zhilei Zhang was born on July 18, 1983, in Zhoukou, Henan, China. Growing up, he showed a keen interest in sports, particularly boxing. At the age of 15, Zhang began training at a local gym, where his natural talent and dedication quickly caught the attention of his coaches. Despite facing financial challenges, Zhang continued to pursue his passion for boxing, working odd jobs to afford training and equipment.
“Craig Richards is one helluva fighter,” said Hutchinson during his post-fight interview with DAZN. “I’m young, I’m hungry, I’m sexy, and I’m ready to take over the world. I want to become the WBC champion of the world.
