Revisiting the fertile ground of Filip Hrgović vs. Zhāng Zhìlěi

Yeah, that big sexy Chinese man just might be the hardest puncher in the sport right now

 

Filip Hrgovic UD12 Zhilei Zhang

Zhang surprisingly light on his feet and adept at parrying that jab with his southpaw right. Not throwing a lot though, Hrgovic clearly the aggressor and does well with some right hands in the middle minute. Gets a bit loose with his jab though and a quick cuffing left hook round the back of the head, unfamiliar to Hrgovic probably puts him on his knees. Hrgovic does not have his feet under him - Zhang maybe hsould have gone for him, landing two meaningful punches not the best. Still, great start in the end for the big man from China who was clearly losing this round. Hrgovic goes right back to work in the second though and bags it. Good response that, figured the cuffing punch was a bit of a fluke and just goes back to what he knows, adds a couple of bodyshots.

Zhang goes marching straight in at the start of the third and you can almost hear the headclash, Hrgovic giving up a lot of blood from the scalp, Zhang...is he cut over the eye? He's ok. Kind of looked deliberate though, nots sure. Zhang is busier here, closer too I think, wants to be a bit nearer, chucking down the middle, also looking for that cuffing left again. Hrgovic steady. Zhang does good work whenever Hrgovic is in view of the ropes, smothers his own work at the end but that's the second time he is landing a combo in that situation. I think he's snuck the third there. Good 1-2-3 to open the third from Hrgovic, pretty. He's shuffling away from ZZhang though and corners himself. Hrgovic the punching boss, Zhang controlling the real-estate. Big left hands go in from Zhang though to score the second minute, two big, big guys throwing rather nice punches. I have it to Hrgovic close. Oooft, Zhang nicks the fifth though, hitting hard at the bell, driving Hrgobic back to the ropes, he looks unhappy and his legs are not under him according to commentary. Zhang beats him up here in the sixth. Hrgovic looks like he might go getting hit clean and driven about the ring. Hrgovic is in trouble here. Seventh will tell.

Good working back from Hrgovic! Builds on his jab, and scorches Zhang with a couple of right hands. What an important comeback. On such rounds, worlds turn. Zhang looks knackered in the eighth and is firmly outworked - Zhang rallies to grab the ninth though. He does rally to hurtfully pick up the ninth but Hrgovic gets home clean by zipping down the straight, better conditioning won the day in a fun HW contest that saw two huge men landing big bombs. Hrgovic displayed some weird behaviour while winning those rounds though. Commentary compared him to Golota and I agree.

Hrgovic:2,4,7,8,10,11,12.
Zhang:1*,3,5,6,9

*Hrgovic down.

114-113 Hrgovic.