Zhilei Zhang is open to fighting Joseph Parker in his next fight.

Both boxers are coming off impressive wins. Zhang stopped Joe Joyce in two consecutive fights to become the WBO interim champion, putting him in a position to face the winner of Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk. Parker has just secured a major win against Deontay Wilder. Parker dominated the Bronze Bomber, who only won a round on his way to a unanimous decision win.

The victory ended hopes of an Anthony Joshua fight with Wilder after they had signed a two-fight deal.
Parker has lost to Joyce, who ultimately was stopped by Zhang, making it an intriguing fight. A win for Parker takes him closer to a world title after losing his WBO belt to Joshua. Zhang was ready to make it happen.

Zhang On Parker

“[Joseph] Parker might be a good option. Right now, he’s hot. Everybody is looking at him like he’s really good. If I can’t get any of those guys, then Joseph Parker would be a good option,” Zhang said 

If the fight does not happen with Parker, there are reports that Zhang could face Wilder on the undercard of Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou. The latter two fighters have agreed a deal to fight each other on March 8/9th, 2024.

The ‘Day of Reckoning’ boxing card in Saudi has shown that the Kingdom is willing to put on the biggest fights on the same card. Joshua and Wilder were the top two names the last time around. This time, Wilder may get another chance despite his loss. Getting a win over Zhang will boost his world title hopes.

Zhang is the WBO heavyweight interim champion, which means a win puts Wilder back in a mandatory position to face either Oleksandr Usyk or Tyson Fury. If he aspires to be a world champion again, facing Zhang is the best option. But a defeat will end Wilder’s chances of becoming a two-time champion.

Zhang Vs. Wilder

Zhang is a southpaw who can knock out his opponent, something Wilder has struggled against. Despite his wins against Luis Ortiz, Wilder was losing both fights before getting the stoppage. Following the Parker defeat, he vowed to bounce back much stronger. 

“We came out short tonight. You know what, I don’t know what happened to be honest. My timing was off and I didn’t throw my punches, I didn’t let my hands go like I was supposed to. Sometimes you get like that. But you live to see another fight. You live to see another moment. That’s all that matters.

“I’m still full of happiness, still full of joy, still full of smiles. Sorry if I let anyone down but we will be back though! That’s the thing about it. I thank you so much for the love and support I’ve got out here in Riyadh and from all my fans around the world. I appreciate you so much. This is not the end and I will be back. Love, peace and God bless," Wilder stated

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