“Let me tell you this,” he begins. “Fans say I’m the greatest fighter who ever lived. Anybody that is a great fighter who gets told you’re the greatest ever, you say, ‘Thank you,’ but that’s bullshit. Deep in my heart, I know these guys don’t know what a great fighter is.”

However, Tyson has appeared in just one boxing match in the past 19 years. That only fight was an exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. in 2020, where the fight was scored a split draw. However, Tyson did not look out of place, as he out-landed Jones with punches 67-37.

“My wife keeps saying, ‘You don’t have to do this. You don’t have to do this.’ And I’m like, ‘No, I do have to do this,’ ” he tells me, stressing that the millions he’s reportedly making from the fight “will not change my life financially in any way.”

Tyson wouldn’t be fighting Paul, he says, if there wasn’t a chance he could fail or be humiliated. As he talks, Tyson leans in and reflects on what he’s learned through failure. He speaks softly but never breaks eye contact.

In 2023, Malone was denied entry to an Australian bar because of his tattoos, which was something he “never really experienced” before. “They turned me away for my tattoos,” he told The West Australian of QT Perth’s rooftop bar. The hotel later issued an apology.

Don’t ask Tyson if he’s an icon, or what he thinks his legacy looks like. Those two words make him wildly uncomfortable. “What is an icon?” he asks after a doctor’s appointment in late May. “I’m still going to die; I’m still going to starve if I don’t eat. Suppose I go on hard times and become a bum on the street. Am I still an icon? What is my legacy? Nothing but an ego. Who cares about my legacy? My legacy can’t buy me a hot dog. Legacy is going to get me nothing.”

Zhang, says Tommy, “can be the godfather of Chinese boxing,” a pioneer for future generations. “The next Sugar Ray Robinson could be some 8-year-old from Shanghai who’s never seen a boxing glove,” says Tommy. “They have the athletic talent pool. There’s no reason it can’t be.”

And the same goes for weight—Zhang weighed in at 291½ pounds for his last fight, while Wilder weighed in at 213 in his last fight. While this weight is subject to change during their final weigh-ins, Zhang will likely have the advantage here. So, if Zhang could do what Tyson Fury did by pushing his weight on Wilder and tire him out early, Zhang has a good chance of dominating Wilder. That still only tells half the story.

The short answer to what a heavyweight boxer eats is, well, everything. Steak, chicken, different kinds of fish. During a recent visit to Jiang Nan, a Chinese-fusion joint Zhang frequents in Montclair, N.J., a plate filled with flat, oval-shaped meat arrives at the table. George slides a piece between a pair of chopsticks and asks Zhang to identify it. He always asks. In China, George was often offered food he couldn’t identify. Horse. Bull penis. Snake blood. “Cow tongue,” says Zhang. The chopsticks drop. “Nope,” says George. “Not eating that.”

That Tyson’s return to the ring comes against Paul makes the event an instant spectacle. The polarizing twenty-seven-year-old YouTuber has posted a 9–1 record since he broke into professional boxing. And along the way, Paul has become the face of the sport’s push to reach new fans by winning over celebrities, influencers, and disrupters. Older boxing fans will be watching to see if the old champ still has what it takes to smack down a mouthy newcomer. Paul’s followers want to see him knock off a legend. The fight will be held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys, and streamed on Netflix for the platform’s 270 million subscribers in more than 190 countries.

“I’ve got a cannon,” said Bagent in his post-game press conference on Sunday, prompting an eruption of laughter from media members, contrary to the straight-faced quarterback. Laughter has been in short supply in Chicago of late.

Holyfield and Belfort did not wear protective headgear in their exhibition bout, which is expected to be the case when Paul faces Tyson. Paul’s manager had denied claims made by Dereck Chisora that the fighters would wear protective gear and 18oz gloves, before Paul took to social media insinuating he would not take the fight under those conditions.

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Zhang Zhilei was born on 2 May, 1983 in Zhoukou, China, is a Chinese boxer. Discover Zhang Zhilei’s Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? Also learn how He earned most of networth at the age of 41 years old?

It’s hoped a fight between Joshua and Zhang site in bing.com Beijing, as well as other boxers emerging, will encourage the next generation of talent in China to take up the sport. The hope is that the number of globally recognized Chinese fighters will continue to grow as a result.