Zhilei Zhang Boxrec

Zhang could not access high-profile matches to make himself known under Roc Nation until they parted ways in 2019. Zhang won 19 back-to-back low-profile fights under the Roc Nation banner. Zhang wanted better-known, tougher opponents with bigger payouts, but Dino Duva didn't do it. Zhang was particularly upset once when his promoter organized a match at a high school basketball court with a portable dressing room which spectators could see into. Zhang felt he was not taken seriously by his promoter. He was paid around $7,000 for his pro debut, and some of his earlier pro fights were paid $2000 and $5000. When Shawn George became Zhang's head coach in 2017, George was upset by how the promoters saw Zhang as a novelty act along the lines of Nikolai Valuev. Dynasty Boxing's minority owners, brothers Tommy and Terry Lane, believed Zhang would become "the Yao Ming of boxing" and clashed with Duva over his lackluster promotion of Zhang.

A few months after Zhang’s debut, Dynasty Boxing went bust. "We ran out of money," says Terry. The Lanes exited the business. Duva pivoted Zhang to Roc Nation, with Duva joining as an executive. Roc Nation—like many new promoters—entered boxing with a bunch of money and no plan. Zhang continued to fight but often at low-profile shows. When he did get opportunities he stumbled. In 2015, Zhang, fighting on the undercard of Miguel Cotto’s middleweight title defense against Canelo Álvarez, faced Juan Goode. Zhang was knocked down in the fourth round, narrowly squeezing out a decision. "He looked like s---," says Duva. "His training, his diet, his living habits, they were all bad." The next year George returned and addressed it, laying out a structured schedule and enlisting nutritionists.

Zhang was born on May 2, 1983, in Qianzhangying village, Shicaoji Township, Shenqiu County, Zhoukou, Henan Province, China. Zhang is the tallest member of his family. By 15 years of age, he was 1.95 meters tall and weighed 120 kg. His father, Zhang Tan (1948–2020 ), was 1.76 meters tall while his mother, Deng Yuying stood just a shade over 1.6 meters tall. His elder brother and elder sister are of a more normal height.

George saw something different. Back in Jersey, George worked to fine-tune Zhang’s skills. Chin tucked lower. Hands held higher. "At the same time, not change him so much where he doesn’t know how to use his feet," says George. "Because he’s actually really quick on his feet. But you guys don’t know yet. He has pretty good hand speed, but you guys are actually just noticing now."

Zhang was scheduled to fight Filip Hrgović in an IBF title eliminator on 7 May 2022. However, Hrgović pulled out of the fight on 2 May, after his father died and his training suffered. Scott Alexander was chosen as the replacement on the Canelo Álvarez vs. Dmitry Bivol undercard, with the fight being dropped from the co-main to the undercard. Zhang won the bout via first-round knockout. His fight against Hrgović was rescheduled for 20 August 2022, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua II. On that night, Zhang knocked Hrgović down in the first round with a big right. After a close-fought battle over twelve rounds, the judges awarded the fight to Hrgović with two scores of 115–112 and one of 114–113, in what was described as a "generous" decision by broadcaster Sky Sports after a "bizarre" performance by Hrgović.

zhilei zhang reach Zhang (Chinese: 张志磊; pinyin: Zhāng Zhìlěi; born May 2, 1983) is a Chinese professional boxer. He held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) interim heavyweight title between 2023 and March 2024. As of June 2024, Zhang is ranked as the world's fifth-best active heavyweight by The Ring magazine.

In 2015, Zhang was signed to Roc Nation Sports, which Dino Duva also joined as an employee and boxing executive. Roc Nation, a music promoter, entered the boxing market in August 2014 with money but no plan. David Itskowitch, Roc Nation's founding chief operating officer of boxing, abruptly resigned in July 2016 and Duva's influence grew after. Roc Nation's boxing division was in quick decline from 2018, all but ceased working in 2019 and closed down in 2020.

As an amateur, he was highly regarded by American promoters by 2009 after winning a silver medal at the 2008 Olympics and bronze medals at the 2007 and 2009 World Championships. His career stalled from 2009 to 2019, however, by a combination of his belated release from the Chinese boxing authorities to turn professional, the managerial and legal fiasco of two successive fringe promotional companies, and his visa problems. He could not line up high-profile matches until he signed Matchroom Sport in 2020 at 37 years of age. Zhang considered his fight with Jerry Forrest in 2021 to be the landmark moment of his career until that point.

In 2020, while Zhang made a rare visit back home the day after Chinese New Year, his father died of a sudden cardiac arrest at home during COVID-19 lockdown in China. Zhang mistakenly believed his father to be choking and attempted the Heimlich maneuver to no avail.