Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang, two fighters approaching the twilight of their careers, will be the headliners in the 5 vs 5 event this weekend. The Wilder vs Zhang purse promises a significant payday for both fighters, potentially marking their final hurrah before retirement. How big are we talking? Let’s find out.
Wilder vs Zhang Purse: Six Figure Paychecks for Both?
Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang are both desperate for a win to get their careers back on track as they prepare to lace up the leathers in the Bivol vs Beterbiev undercard event.
Zhang stumbled in his last outing, losing a majority decision to Joseph Parker. However, that setback came after two dominant victories over Joe Joyce in 2023. Now, the former WBO interim heavyweight seeks to reignite his momentum and climb the heavyweight ranks.
Deontay Wilder also faces a crossroads. The Bronze Bomber’s most recent fight ended in a disappointing unanimous decision loss to Parker, derailing his shot at Oleksandr Usyk following Tyson Fury’s defeat. Having lost three of his last four fights, Wilder will be desperate to claim a statement victory.
Regardless of their recent woes, the latest Wilder vs Zhang purse information suggests both fighters are up for a big payday in the Saudi Arabian capital this Saturday.
While official Wilder vs Zhang prize money details haven’t been announced, both Wilder and Zhang stand to gain significant payouts, particularly if the fight generates strong viewership numbers.
Fighter Payouts – Wilder vs Zhang
According to reports, Deontay Wilder is expected to secure a guaranteed base pay of $4 million. On the other hand, Zhilei Zhang, is estimated to receive $1 million. However, both fighters can potentially earn much more through performance-based bonuses tied to pay-per-view sales.
As mentioned earlier, both fighters have a chance to strike gold if the Wilder-Zhang fight ignites strong viewership. If the pay-per-view sales surpass 700,000, Wilder could see a knockout bonus of $8 million, pushing his total earnings to a whopping $12 million.
Zhang wouldn’t be left out either, with a potential $1.3 million bonus on top of his $1 million base pay, his total potential haul can be as high as $2.3 million.
Underperforming PPV sales, therefore, will lead to lower Wilder vs Zhang payouts. Missing the pay-per-view target could mean a significant drop in earnings for Zhang compared to his previous fight. Reports suggest he secured a total purse of $2-3 million for his clash with Parker. Meeting it would be difficult without high PPV sales.
While Wilder also suffered a defeat to Parker in his previous outing, it didn’t dent his impressive earning potential. Reports suggest he still secured a hefty purse of around $10 million for that fight. Overall, Wilder has amassed a massive fortune from his boxing fighter pay deals. The estimated value of his wealth is over $100 million.
Wilder and Zhang might be cashing in one of the final paychecks of their career this Saturday. With guaranteed six-figure purses on the line, expect the fighters to leave everything in the ring.
Bren Gray is our resident Kiwi, and has been writing about sports since he could first string words together. He first fell in love with boxing when David Tua took on Lennox Lewis in 2000, and hasn't looked back since.