“Like any business in China, it’s not as easy as you maybe think it should be to penetrate that market, particularly for an international business. So you need people on the ground there. But most of all, you need the talent. You need Chinese talent. And I keep going back to the fact that you have a world-class heavyweight here,” Hearn said.

Zhang, a southpaw like Usyk, started better and capitalized on Joyce’s static head movement by landing a right hook in the first round. In the second round Joyce was left staggering from a left hand from Zhang and then again later in the round from another left hand and right hook.

“It’s good to be successful and have financial status but if you’re only gonna live for the money, you’re only gonna reach a certain status and I’m in there for greatness and peace of mind.” – Mike Tyson

In March 2024, it was announced that Tyson would be making his ring return against Jake Paul in a heavyweight bout on July 20, 2024, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. On April 29, 2024, it was announced that the fight would be sanctioned as a professional boxing match by Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR). On May 26, 2024, Tyson suffered an ulcer flare aboard a plane. On May 31, 2024, it was announced that the fight was postponed per medical advice from Tyson’s doctor, allowing him to recover from his ulcer flareup. On June 7, 2024, it was announced that the fight will take place at the same arena on November 15, 2024.

Strange though it feels to say this about a fight between one-punch knockout artists with limited output, I feel like cardio will be the deciding factor site here. Wilder notoriously carries his power late, and while his pace isn’t one to wear out your average opponent, the same could be said of Joseph Parker’s and Zhang still gassed despite throwing less than 25 punches per round. I don’t see him fixing that problem anytime soon. Each of those punches is sufficient to knock a man to kingdom come, of course, but Wilder is notoriously difficult to get rid of. I still remember him shrugging off an absolute barrage from Luis Ortiz before putting him down.

In one of the interviews, Tyson explained why the portrait of this particular political figure appeared on his stomach: “Che Guevara is an incredible person. He did so much, sacrificed everything for the benefit of other people.”

In November 2013, Tyson stated “the more I look into the churches and mosques for god, the more I start seeing the devil”. But, just a month later, in a December 2013 interview with Fox News, Tyson said that he is very grateful to be a Muslim and that he needs Allah in his life. In the same interview Tyson talked about his progress with sobriety and how being in the company of good people has made him want to be a better and more humble person.

Tyson’s mother died when he was 16, leaving him in the care of D’Amato, who would become his legal guardian. Tyson later said, “I never saw my mother happy with me and proud of me for doing something: she only knew me as being a wild kid running the streets, coming home with new clothes that she knew I didn’t pay for. I never got a chance to talk to her or know about her. Professionally, it has no effect, but it’s crushing emotionally and personally.”

While Tyson started fighting during his childhood in Brooklyn, he didn’t begin to box until his teenage years. After repeated run-ins with the law, he found himself in upstate New York at the Tyron School for Boys. There, Mike sought out Bobby Stewart, a former boxer turned counselor; Stewart, however, realized he was dealing with a generational talent and introduced Tyson to Cus D’Amato.

9:03pm BST/5:03pm ET: Itauma moving like a middleweight in round four, picking his shots. His uppercuts, both how he sets them up and in the execution, are a delight. It’s some effort for Dovbyshchenko to be hanging in there. He’s been tenderised by body shots but we have four rounds in the books. This is some spot-on matchmaking by Itauma’s handlers. We didn’t need to see him roll another opponent over.

Mayer, 32, was due to face Christina Linardatou, 34, from Greece, a former victim of Taylor, in her first fight at lightweight. But Linardatou failed a medical and Mayer had to adjust to a late change of opponent to stay on course for a possible shot at Taylor, ESPN women’s pound-for-pound No 2.

Round 7: Mayer keeps it long and, as a result, gives herself by far her easiest round of the fight. There’s a spiteful flurry before the bell and this is become hard work for Wildheart with a scheduled three remaining.

A un mes de cumplir los 40, Zhilei Zhang lograba un hito en la historia de su país. Se convirtió en el octavo campeón mundial chino e igualó algo que parecía inalcanzable: ser medallista olímpico y alzar un Mundial profesional, algo que sólo había logrado antes Zou Shiming (triple medallista olímpico y monarca del minimosca). Todo había cambiado en unos minutos. El Gigante Chino acababa de romper todos los planes. Su posición en el boxeo varió, pero no él. Sigue siendo el mismo chico tímido que es muy reservado con todo lo que hace fuera del ring.