Zhang loss may signal the end for Wilder.

The main event on Saturday nights, 5 v 5 show at the Kingdom arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia may have signified a definitive conclusion to the colourful career of former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder after a 5th round knockout defeat at the hands of Zhilei Zhang. Wilder and Xhang entered the bout coming off decision defeats at the hands of Jo Parker and viewed the fight as an opportunity for redemption on a huge PPV stage. Wilder had made it clear that his loss to Parker was largely down to his more civilised attitude having abandoned the evil, destructive alter ego. Wilder did state to the press that there was a realistic chance he could lose to Zhilei and if he didn’t produce the goods on fight night, this could be the final time that we would see Wilder in the ring. The imposing Zhang entered the fight outweighing the former champion by a whopping 68 pounds, with Wilder opting to box at an athletic 214 pounds. Zhang took the action straight to Wilder from the opener, forcing the Alabama fighter to give ground and weather the storm. Wilder was forced to box at long range and negate anything that Zhang chose to set up in short bursts. It appeared by round 3 that Wilder was trying to find clear opportunities to land clean single shots but struggled to set himself under heavy pressure from the Chinese fighter. Wilder found some success and began to rally in the 4th and was able to disorganise Zhang with sporadic success with single right hand attacks. Midway through a sedate 5th round, Wilder over reached with a right hand and was caught clean by a long right hook that grazed his nose, dazed by the shot Wilder appeared disorientated and spun around, almost facing the opposite direction as his opponent, seizing the chance, Zhang capitalised on the damage by landing a vicious right hand that folded Wilder up in a heap, in serious trouble. Deontay managed to beat the count comfortably but in rising appeared unsteady and was stopped by referee Keiren McCann. Wilder now drops to 43-4-1 (42 Ko’s) and appeared a shadow of the dominant former champion that terrorised the division 10 years ago. Zhang isn’t the finished article but moves on towards the promise of some lucrative opportunities at 27-2-1 (22 Ko’s) Wilders hopes of meeting Anthony Joshua or a once lucrative 4th fight with Fury now seem far away in the rear view mirror as the former destructive champion may opt to choose live as a proud family man having reached the lowest point of his career.