In his ‘Hotboxing podcast’, Tyson has discussed the incident umpteen times. It is no surprise that the moment remains as one of the finest memories. However, Tyson initially wanted to have hearts on his face.
After winning third place in the unlimited weight class in boxing in the 2001 National Games of China, he was called in as a sparring partner for the Chinese national boxing team in 2002. In 2003, he lost 22:8 in the first round of the 2003 World Amateur Boxing Championships to Grzegorz Kiełsa. At the 2004 World University Boxing Championships, he lost in the final to Rustam Saidov. Zhang enrolled at Zhengzhou University in 2005 and graduated in 2009 majoring in sports training. At the 2005 World Amateur Boxing Championships in China, he beat Vugar Alekperov 20:11 before losing to eventual champion Odlanier Solis (17:7).
These decisions aren’t just chuckle-worthy, random choices, though. Back around the time he bit Holyfield’s ear off and got his tattoo, Iron Mike had some severe substance abuse problems. On top of that, he suffered from chronic pain resulting from his boxing career, for which he was prescribed opioids. Those, however, only destabilized him more. Eventually, he turned to pot, and as his current business partner, Rob Hickman, says, “It changed his life. He’s the perfect person.” Tyson evened out, and now he wants to support upcoming weedpreneurs, saying, “I thought about how much good I could do by helping people with cannabis… It was a no-brainer.”
Plus, he has absolutely no regrets about getting the tat. “A lot of stuff happened out of this tattoo, a lot of good stuff,” he told Sports Illustrated in 2016. “Other young athletes come to me and say, ‘It’s because of you they call it the Mike Tyson.'”
Zhang considered turning professional at 25 years of age after the 2008 Olympics, but could not until 2014. Dino Duva and Don King were the first promoters to approach Zhang. In August 2009, Duva and King arranged for Zhang to train at the Poconos. In September 2010, Duva arranged for Zhang to train in the Poconos to prepare him for the 2010 Asian Games. The highlight of that training were 11 bouts between the Chinese and American national boxing teams in Manhattan promoted as “Empires Collide”, which Zhang defeated Danny Kelly Jr 16:8 in the main fight. Zhang dominated in all domestic amateur heavyweight competitions from 2005 until 2013. He was finally released by the Henan Provincial Combat and Weightlifting Center after he competed in the 2012 Olympics and won the gold medal for 2013 National Games of China.
As of March 2023, Lay Zhang has been the spokesman/ambassador for over 50 brands. Current endorsements include: Chaumet, Valentino, Hublot, Bang & Olufsen, Biotherm Homme, Epson, Wedgwood, Fila, Decorte, Calbee, etc. Past endorsements include: Dell computer, Calvin Klein, Daniel Wellington, Ballantine’s, Burger King, Oral-B, Pizza Hut, Converse, MAC Cosmetics, Ray-Ban, Milka Chocolate, H&M, Perrier, etc.
The infamous boxing legend Mike Tyson has recently been turning heads with intense workout videos posted on his Instagram account. The former heavyweight champion of the world has been teasing a potential comeback to the ring, showcasing his agility, power, and speed.
In 2020, while Zhang made a rare visit back home the day after Chinese New Year, his father died of a sudden cardiac arrest at home during COVID-19 lockdown in China. Zhang mistakenly believed his father to be choking and attempted the Heimlich maneuver to no avail.
The visitor continued to look dangerous in the second and threatened to put Joyce to the canvas with an emphatic right-left combination that left the home favourite stumbling towards the ropes. The punishment soon drew blood from the nose of Joyce, who by now was beginning to swell under the eye such was Zhang’s early dominance.
Following his undisputed championship win, Tyson’s troubles grew. He left his manager Bill Cayton and fired longtime trainer Kevin Rooney, who helped build his career following D’amato’s death. The issues he faced in his personal Life affected him in reality as he couldn’t train well.
Boxing fans, are you ready to watch Wilder vs. Zhang headline the 5v5: Queensberry vs. Matchroom event? This Saturday box in bing.com Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, five of Eddie Hearn’s boxers will face off against five of Frank Warren’s boxers. Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang will face off in a headline heavyweight bout. Also on the Queensberry V. Matchroom card is a featherweight title fight between Raymond Ford and Nick Ball and a light heavyweight title between Dmitry Bivol and Malik Zinad. Are you ready to tune in? If you’re looking for ways to watch this pay-per-view exclusive fight, we’ve got you covered. Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch the Wilder vs. Zhang fight, including the full fight card, how you can stream the boxing match for less and more.
The pride of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is now 38 years old. His best days could be behind him. But other older heavyweights have often fought and succeeded at a high level. If Wilder can do the same, then a win against Zhang would position him for another title shot, be it against Oleksandr Usyk or for whomever else winds up with the IBF belt that Usyk may wind up vacating.