“I thought it was so hot. I would be in these dens, these clubs and strip places sometimes and all the girls said ‘oh you are very exotic, where are you from? Where did your family come from? Why did you put this tattoo on your face?’
Zhang was highly regarded by American promoters by 2009 but his career stalled between 2009 and 2019 owing to a combination of his duties to Chinese national boxing obligations, mismanagement and accompanying legal issues, and his visa problems. Until Zhang signed with Matchroom Sport USA in 2020 at 37 years of age, he was excluded from boxing’s top ranks.
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.”
Joshua scored a knockdown in Round 2 and went on to win their quarterfinal match, 15-11. George stayed on with the amateur team, guiding them through the 2016 Games, while Zhang turned pro in 2014 in search of a different heavyweight crown.
Le puissant puncher américain Deontay Wilder combattra peut-être pour la dernière fois de sa carrière s’il perd ce week-end. Wilder, 38 ans, affrontera le géant chinois Zhilei Zhang ce samedi 1er juin à Riyad en Arabie Saoudite. Actuellement sur 3 défaites lors de ses 4 derniers combats, “The Bronze Bomber”…
2007 verlor er im Finale der Asienmeisterschaft in Ulaanbaatar erneut gegen Rustam Saidov und startete bei der Weltmeisterschaft in Chicago, wo er erst im Halbfinale mit einer Bronzemedaille gegen Wjatscheslaw Hlaskow ausschied. Er war mit diesem Erfolg für die Olympischen Sommerspiele 2008 in Peking qualifiziert, wo er mit drei Siegen das Finale erreichte und beim Kampf um die Goldmedaille gegen Roberto Cammarelle verlor. Zudem unterlag er im Viertelfinale des Weltcups 2008 in Moskau gegen Robert Alfonso.
Zhang, speaking through his translator Kurt, reflected on the first lashings of rope, slapping the floor as he tried to understand the rhythm required to succeed. Boxing may not have come naturally – but it was on its way. Beaten by veteran Italian police officer Roberto Cammarelle in the final of those Beijing Olympics, Zhang had announced himself, a silver medallist representing a nation in its boxing infancy.
Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs) is usually strong in the first half. We’ve seen him outboxed in the second half by Hrgovic and Parker in his two loses but he also has to be weary of Wilder’s nuclear power. He’s never been hit by anyone like the American. How will Wilder deal with the much bigger physique (Zhang figures to be around 75 pounds heavier) and southpaw stance of the Big Bang? Zhang will be there to be hit, but how will he hold up under a right hand from Wilder?
It’ll be interesting to see if Zhang can get himself in better shape for the rematch to improve enough to win because he’s got to be able to throw more punches for him to have a shot at beating Parker.
“I blocked a few punches, but hell yeah, he punches hard,” Zhang, speaking through an interpreter, said of his opponent. “I give him a lot of respect. He’s a heavy puncher. … I successfully took his right hand away.”
“I blocked a few punches, but hell yeah, he punches hard,” Zhang, speaking through an interpreter, said of Wilder (43-4-1, 42 KOs), who is regarded as one of the most powerful punchers in heavyweight history.
The boxing star also admitted to being wasted when he got the tattoo on the same podcast. “I think I was on cocaine at the time,” he said “I am drinking and I was fucking wanted to get a badass tattoo. Some mean shit on my face.” Well, he certainly achieved his goal.
The Mike Tyson tattoo on his face has had a decisive impact on popular culture and fashion, becoming a different kind of individuality and boldness. This unique pattern not only enhanced his formidable image, but also inspired many people to experiment with tattoos and self-expression. In the world of fashion and art, Tyson’s tattoo became a symbol of boldness and non-acceptance of the standard, prompting designers and artists to create new trends and collections inspired by the motifs present. The emergence of facial tattoos in music, movies and even on runways is partly due to the influence of Tyson, who showed with his invention that such tattoos can be a powerful expression of personal history and inner strength.
In 2019, a year before the official closure of Roc Nation’s boxing 140 pound division boxing, the Lane brothers negotiated Zhang’s release with Matchroom Boxing USA, which Duva, again, had cut a deal with. In 2024, Zhang’s co-manager recalled his promoter tried to stop him leaving by intimidation, dragging him into legal battles and refusing to line him up in fights. Brothers Tommy and Terry Lane, sons of boxing referee Mills Lane, joined Zhang as advisers and helped guide him out of trouble. It was not clear whether this incident was referring to Zhang’s termination of contract in November 2014 or in 2019.