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George liked China, so much so that when Zhang turned pro and moved to New Jersey, George stayed behind. Three years later, in 2017, Zhang, his career floundering, asked him to become his head trainer and George agreed.
There’s a cheeriness to Zhang. He has stability, both in his career and with the people around him. Li, who is the highest division in boxing has been with Zhang since 2010. George, Zhang says, “is like a brother.” In ’18, with his career stalled, Zhang considered retirement. Now he believes he has several good years left in him. His next fight will likely come in March, on the undercard of Joshua’s heavyweight showdown with former UFC champion Francis Ngannou. A title shot of his own—Zhang holds an interim version of the WBO title—could come soon afterward.
MIKE TYSON’s FACIAL tattoo has been described as one of the most distinctive tattoos in North America. It has attracted controversy as an example of the cultural appropriation of ta moko, the sacred culturally embedded tattooing practice of the Maori people of Aotearoa/New Zealand. It has also attracted much media attention for its place at the heart of Whitmill v. Warner Bros., a rare litigated instance of a tattooist enforcing their copyright in a tattoo design. More than this, though, Tyson’s tattoo is an excellent example of the tensions that emerge over the protection of traditional knowledge, and the difhculty of claiming one truth in an intellectual property world that was born in the Western philosophical tradition, and is only now beginning to come to terms with its colonial heritage.
The Mike Tyson tattoo has played a significant role in shaping attitudes towards tattoos in both sports and mainstream culture. Once considered taboo, tattoos have become more acceptable and even celebrated, thanks in part to Tyson’s influence.
Tobias is a content specialist with over a decade of experience writing about men’s lifestyles for a variety of publications around the world. When not on his computer he enjoys traveling, eating pizza, and watching 80s action films.
As an amateur, he was highly regarded by American promoters by 2009 after winning a silver medal at the 2008 Olympics and bronze medals at the 2007 and 2009 World Championships. His career stalled from 2009 to 2019, however, by a combination of his belated release from the Chinese boxing authorities to turn professional, the managerial and legal fiasco of two successive fringe promotional companies, and his visa problems. He could not line up high-profile matches until he signed Matchroom Sport in 2020 at 37 years of age. Zhang considered his fight with Jerry Forrest in 2021 to be the landmark moment of his career until that point.
Raw Courage and Vulnerability: In his one-man show, best-selling memoir, and therapy podcast, Tyson laid bare his soul. He spoke of his trials and tribulations with a raw honesty that was shocking and deeply moving. These weren’t just confessions, but lessons in humility, resilience, and the human capacity for change.
Best known for his victory over Canelo Alvarez in 2022, Bivol knocked down Zinad in the first round. But his performance looked more methodical than spectacular before he unleashed a flurry of punches that prompted the referee to stop the fight in the sixth round.
“He’s here every single day, he’s calling me up early in the morning to go running. He wants to work, he wants to win. That to this day is the same, there’s no change now that he has notoriety,” said George, a former light heavyweight contender turned upstart trainer.
In 1995, Zhang was called up to the Shenqiu County canoe sprinting team by coach Li Guofeng. When Zhang injured his leg during a tryout for the provincial canoe sprinting team, he was referred to the provincial boxing coach Gu Ganqing. In 1998, Gu signed him to the Combat and Weightlifting Center in the Henan Provincial Department of Sports, headed by center chief Li Yan in Shangjie. From 1998 until he was released from his sporting obligations, he was coached by Gu. This was the first time Zhang had lived away from his family.
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YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul is set to face heavyweight legend Mike Tyson in an exhibition boxing match on July 20. The event will be broadcast exclusively on Netflix and held at the 80,000-seat capacity AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.
The more George watched, the more he liked. Zhang had size, sure. But he also had speed. Athleticism. Slashing power. After the meet, the Chinese coaches invited George to a camp in the Poconos. “They liked my philosophies,” says George. With the 2010 Asian Games around the corner, the coaches asked George to come to Beijing to work with their top prospects.