After winning third place in the unlimited weight class in boxing in the 2001 National Games of China, he was called in as a sparring partner for the Chinese national boxing team in 2002. In 2003, he lost 22:8 in the first round of the 2003 World Amateur Boxing Championships to Grzegorz Kiełsa. At the 2004 World University Boxing Championships, he lost in the final to Rustam Saidov. Zhang enrolled at Zhengzhou University in 2005 and graduated in 2009 majoring in sports training. At the 2005 World Amateur Boxing Championships in China, he beat Vugar Alekperov 20:11 before losing to eventual champion Odlanier Solis (17:7).

In 2014, Zhang made his professional debut in boxing after a successful amateur career. The Chinese boxer had already gained recognition for his skills in the ring, winning numerous titles and medals at the amateur level. His transition to the professional ranks was met with great anticipation and excitement from fans and experts alike. Zhang quickly proved that he was a force to be reckoned with, showcasing his speed, power, and technical prowess in the ring. His professional debut was a resounding success, setting the stage for what would become a successful career in the world of professional boxing. Zhang’s journey from amateur to professional boxing is a testament to his dedication, talent, and determination to succeed in the sport.

Zhang vocht zijn volgende wedstrijd op 8 maart 2024 en verloor van voormalig WBO-kampioen Joseph Parker door een meerderheidsbesluit van de juryleden. Op 1 juni 2024 stond Zhang tegenover voormalig WBC-kampioen Deontay Wilder, die hij versloeg op KO in de vijfde ronde.

Round 4: Has Zhang missed with a straight left yet? I mean, he must have done but this is a slog for Joyce right now. Perhaps his much-vaunted engine comes into play later but Zhang is dictating the pace so isn't liable to tire any time soon. Any Joyce success is being responded to with interest. A chopping Joyce right clocks Zhang on the temple. He needs more of that. Left, right from Zhang and Joyce wobbles before the bell.

In 1995, Zhang was called up to the Shenqiu County canoe sprinting team by coach Li Guofeng. When Zhang injured his leg during a tryout for the provincial canoe sprinting team, he was referred to the provincial boxing coach Gu Ganqing. In 1998, Gu signed him to the Combat and Weightlifting Center in the Henan Provincial Department of Sports, headed by center chief Li Yan in Shangjie. From 1998 until he was released from his sporting obligations, he was coached by Gu. This was the first time Zhang had lived away from his family.

With pockets of travelling fans waving China flags scattered around the arena, Zhang made his entrance. The 2008 Olympic silver medallist became an even bigger star in his home country after beating Joyce first time around.

Zhang’s training regimen is intense and focused, with a strong emphasis on strength and conditioning, as well as technical skill development. She trains multiple times a day, incorporating a mix of cardio, weightlifting, and martial arts drills. Zhang also pays close attention to her diet and recovery, ensuring she is in peak physical condition for each fight. Her dedication and commitment to her training have played a key role in her success in the octagon.

What followed was a mix of success (11 straight wins from September 2016 to November ’20) and setbacks (a draw against Jerry Forrest in ’21, a narrow-decision defeat to Filip Hrgović in ’22). Last April, Zhang was tapped to face Joyce. It was a showcase fight for Joyce, the ’16 Olympic silver medalist who was next in line for a title shot and considered un-knock-out-able. Considered. Zhang, an 11-to-1 underdog, battered Joyce over six rounds until the referee mercifully stopped the fight. In the rematch five months later—a bout Zhang admonished Joyce’s handlers not to take—he needed just three rounds to put Joyce on the canvas.

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.

Tonight Joyce was a washout at the OVO Arena as he fearfully entered the ring, and did not show the hunger to regain the crown that the Chinese had taken from him five months ago with a sixth-round knockout.

Round 3: Zhang moves him around with easy. Wilder’s corner implored him to do something, saying they don’t want him to be a punching bag. For the first minute of this round he is. He’s just not punching. Zhang moves him to the corner, hits, zhilei zang Wilder moves away, and it happens again.