This is one fight where I’d favor Zhang. But it’s not exactly a practical matchup. The rules and conditions of the two eras were so different to the point to where you’re almost looking at two different sports.
I think Jeffries figures out how to get inside and stay inside. Wear down Zhang over twelve rounds and likely stop him. If someone can explain the greatness of Agit Kabayel who KO'd Zhang earlier this year or Jerry Forrest who fought him to a draw in 2021 I might be swayed to reconsider.
Zhang doesn’t just have a straight left. He is very much a two-handed puncher and probably one of the biggest punchers at HW of all time. His right hook KO of Joyce was a thing of beauty against a massively proven chin. Even him sleeping Wilder the way that he did is impressive since we’ve seen Wilder take loads and loads of huge shots throughout his career, especially against Fury and Ortiz. Zhang even had Hrgovic stunned a fair few times, who we’ve seen as well has a very good chin. Zhang is a bonafide puncher and has two bricks for hands. Trying to outlast artillery like that is strategic suicide.
Zhang is untrained. Can’t take body blows. Can’t fight at any distance. One - Two body blows ends it.
No I haven't. Not sure what Rocky has to do with this mythical match up. Zhang had only 29 fights before fighting Kabayal, so not a very battle-worn 42.
I really like Zhang but I think Jeffries would win here. Jeffries had Tons of Stamina , was built like a Tank and by far tougher than most competition today. Sure he would take a lot of Bombs from Zhang, it depends on the referee how long he lets the fight go but I think Jeffries would overtake him in the 5th or 6th round and knock out Zhang in the 8th round. It doesn't matter if Zhang has better skills, Jeffries has the durability and was also quite fast to make Zhang miss a few times and every hit that zhang misses plays into Jeffries' hands, while Jeffries in turn can easily go 20+ rounds.
It's for purposes of comparison ,actually I ****ed up I meant to type Jeffries,ie a 42 years old Jeffries v Kabayel. Must have been thinking about the Rocky v Wilder thread.
Jeffries against a super heavyweight top end puncher is unproven.We simply don't know how his chin would hold up.
Not to dis Jeffries and size isn’t everything but it still is something and it’s significance varies in accord with how much a fighter incorporates his greater size to advantage into his overall style. I think Jeffries did rely heavily on his greater size, strength and relatively greater durability as compared to somewhat smaller opposition. Therefore, I see Jeffries directly losing those size related advantages as he begins to face opposition of equal or greater size. When he first defeated Fitz, Jeff basically said that it was his size, durability, strength and youth that won the day. Now it’s documented that even old, so much lighter Corbett somehow managed to wobble Jeff - which might be a possible red flag as to the true resilience of Jeff’s whiskers. As to power, Jeff could not KO Sharkey over a total of 45 rounds - yet spindly Bob Fitz turned the trick twice over less than 10 rounds in total? Zhang is your classic under/over betting prospect. Big danger for Jeff in the early rounds - a sniper like, selective super power puncher - but IF Jeff survives same then his own chances of winning naturally increase with each passing round. Suffice to say, being assigned by CompuBox to tally Zhang’s punches during a fight isn’t exactly going to see said operator incur RSI. Lol.