In a high-stakes heavyweight showdown, “Big Bang” Zhilei Zhang (27-2-1, 22 KOs) delivered a knockout blow to “The Bronze Bomber” Deontay Wilder (43-4-1, 42 KOs) in the fifth round on Saturday night at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The 41-year-old Zhang, who had a 68-pound weight advantage, relentlessly pursued the 38-year-old Wilder, who aimed to land his signature right hands. In the second round, Zhang dominated Wilder on the ropes, setting the pace for the bout. As the action slowed, Zhang continued to press forward, ultimately dropping Wilder in the fifth round with a powerful right hand that spun him around, followed by a decisive right that sealed Wilder’s fate. The fight ended at 1:51 of the round.

In a battle for the IBF interim heavyweight title, former WBA “regular” heavyweight champion and IBF #4 contender “Dynamite” Daniel Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs) halted the previously unbeaten IBF #1 Filip “El Animal” Hrgovic (17-1, 14 KOs) in the eighth round. The bout was action-packed, with both fighters landing significant shots. Hrgovic consistently connected early with hard right hands, which Dubois managed to absorb. Hrgovic sustained cuts over both eyes and began to tire as the fight progressed. In the seventh round, Dubois rocked Hrgovic, and the referee stopped the bout at 0:57 of the eighth round.

WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs) secured a sixth-round TKO victory over previously unbeaten Malik Zinad (22-1, 16 KOs), ranked IBF #2 and WBA #7. Bivol made an immediate impact, dropping Zinad with a right-left combination in the first round. The fight ended in the sixth round when Bivol unleashed a relentless barrage of punches, prompting the referee to stop the bout at 2:06. This marked Bivol’s first KO since 2018. Up next for Bivol is an October 12 showdown for the undisputed title against WBC/IBF/WBO champion Artur Beterbiev.

Unbeaten WBA #9 Nick “Wrecking” Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) captured the WBA featherweight title from previously unbeaten champion Ray “Savage” Ford (15-1-1, 8 KOs) via a twelve-round split decision. Ball dominated the early rounds, pressing the action and outworking Ford. However, Ford rallied in the latter half, breaking Ball’s nose in the seventh round and finishing strong. The judges scored the fight 115-113 Ford, and 115-113, 115-113 Ball.

In a WBC middleweight eliminator between unbeaten fighters, WBC #2 Hamzah Sheeraz (20-0, 16 KOs) secured an eleventh-round TKO victory over WBC #5 Austin “Ammo” Williams (16-1, 11 KOs). Despite being rocked by Williams in the first round, Sheeraz recovered and dominated the subsequent rounds. He dropped Williams at the end of the tenth round and forced a referee stoppage at 0:45 of the eleventh round.

WBC #7 and WBO #7 light heavyweight and former amateur champion Willy Hutchinson (18-1, 13 KOs) earned a twelve-round unanimous decision over former world title challenger and WBA #4 Craig “The Spider” Richards (18-4-1, 11 KOs). The judges scored the bout 116-112, 117-111, and 119-109 in favor of Hutchinson.

Photo: Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing