Round 1
Zhang, whose 68lb advantage looks even more good under the lights, immediately backs Wilder into a corner, imposing the size difference from go. It’s giving heavyweight v light heavyweight. Wilder paws with the left, his weapons-grade right tensely cocked. A very uneventful opening round with no significant scoring blows either way. Difficult to score, but Zhang shades it with his control of the center.
Round 2
Zhang strikes first and looks to hurt Wilder with an uppercut to the chest in the corner early in the round. But the American escapes immediate trouble and moves the action back to the center, where he scores with a one-two combination. Wilder simply not letting that right hand go. He’s timing the uppercut and right cross and waiting for a perfect moment that so far has not arrived.
Round 3
Zhang keeps applying the steady pressure, walking Wilder down while outthrowing and outlanding his American foe, just. Wilder throws a right hand but misses and gets clipped with a counter right that sends him back and to the side. The pub-room theory that Wilder emerged from the Fury trilogy a changed fighter has only gained steam after three rounds tonight. He’s only landed nine jabs in nine minutes so far, according to Compubox’s punch statistics.
Round 4
Zhang continues to back Wilder into the various corners of the ring … and do nothing with the Alabaman once there. Wilder now throwing range-finding right hands but doing little to trouble Zhang. Both fighters have been overly cautious in this one, taking no chances. The inaction of this snoozer (so far) is thrown into harsh contrast after Dubois-Hrgović.
