Deontay Wilder vs Zhilei Zhang Prediction Boxing Picks 6/1/24

Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang fight Saturday in a boxing match at the Kingdom Arena. Here’s a Deontay Wilder vs Zhilei Zhang Prediction.

Deontay Wilder Betting Preview

Wilder enters this fight with a 43-3-1 record that includes 42 knockouts. Wilder has lost 3 of his last 4 fights, and he’s coming off a December loss to Joseph Parker. Wilder was badly outboxed, and it raised questions about possible retirement. Once the scariest heavyweight on the planet, Wilder hasn’t looked great in his last few fights and will turn 39 years old later this year. Boxers usually don’t get better the more they age, so we’re entering dangerous territory.

Wilder stands at 6’7”, has an 83-inch reach and an orthodox stance. When in good form, Wilder is still the most powerful puncher in boxing and one of the best power punchers in the history of the sport. Wilder has a lot of flaws from a boxing standpoint, as his defense isn’t great, his technique is off a bit, and he doesn’t have the best footwork. However, Wilder can erase things with just one shot, like few in the sport. Wilder doesn’t have to box well to win a fight. He just needs to land that one shot. However, can Wilder turn back the clock and become the Bronze Bomber one last time?

Zhilei Zhang Betting Preview

Zhilei Zhang enters this fight with a 26-2-1 record that includes 21 knockouts. Zhang has won 4 of his last 6 fights, and he’s coming off a March loss to Joseph Parker. Zhang lost a compete fight to Parker where one judge even ruled a draw, losing the WBO interim heavyweight title. Zhang has never been knocked out and hasn’t been dropped in his career.

Zhang is 41 years old, southpaw, stands at 6’6” and has an 80-inch reach. Zhang has a decorated Olympic career and has pro wins over guys such as Andriy Rudenko, Devin Vargas and Joe Joyce. Zhang is an under control fighter who doesn’t get sloppy and puts his punches together nicely. Zhang isn’t sexy in the ring but super effective. Zhang is patient and packs a lot of power, and he’ll let his hands go once he has his opponent in trouble. Again, it may not always look great, but Zhang gets the job done.

Deontay Wilder vs Zhilei Zhang Prediction

Wilder and the plus money is always attractive because of the raw and devastating punching power. Wilder could be getting dominated in the ring, but his ability to land one clean power punch can send any opponent into the spirit realm. It makes him a live dog. With that said, Wilder hasn’t looked great in his last few fights, and he was badly out boxed in his last fight. Zhang was far more competitive against Parker, and some would argue he probably should’ve won.

As I’ve mentioned before, Zhang isn’t sexy in the ring, and he does look sloppy in terms of his build. However, Zhang is patient, has better technique and while he doesn’t have the raw one punch KO pop, he’s heavy-handed and can still produce damage. Even at 41 years old, Zhang is the better boxer at this stage.

I’ll lay the reasonable price with Zhang.

Randy Chambers's Pick: Zhilei Zhang -166