Ex-champion Picks Favorite Between Wilder and Zhang

Former world champion and analyst Paulie Malignaggi believes that Deontay Wilder, in his current form, will not be able to handle Zhilei Zhang in their fight.

"Zhang will push him back. But for Deontay, retreating is pointless. In his last fight, Deontay looked dreadful.

Given the current form of both fighters, I see Zhang pressuring and beating Wilder. But Zhang doesn't have good body movement, and he's a southpaw – there's a danger of him missing a right-hand punch.

To overcome this, you need a motivated Wilder in the right frame of mind," said Malignaggi.

The fight between Zhang and Wilder is set for June 1st in Saudi Arabia, as part of a tournament between the Queensberry and Matchroom promotional teams. Deontay is the captain of the latter team.