In the highlight of the Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou card, in a fight that some fans even consider to be the main event, Zhilei Zhang (26-1-1) puts his WBO interim heavyweight title on the line against former world champion Joseph Parker (34-3).
To say Zhang has aged like fine wine is an understatement, Zhang has aged like 2010 Bitcoin stock. At 40-years-old, Zhang has not only established himself as more than a top ten contender, he is now considered one of the biggest threats to the heavyweight throne.
‘Big Bang’ broke the formidable chin of Joe Joyce last April, in a win that was unforeseen by the masses, before conquering a vulnerable ‘Juggernaut’ again a few months later, with stoppages coming in the sixth and third rounds respectively.
His fast hands and thudding power has got the world talking, but there remains an uncertainty around his gas tank, after visibly tiring against both Jerry Forrest and Filip Hrgovic.
Meanwhile, Joseph Parker is fresh from a win over a similarly dangerous Deontay Wilder, although Zhang’s hand-speed and technical skills admittedly surpass those of ‘The Bronze Bomber’.
The Kiwi displayed his ability to evade a hard-hitting foe and pick his shots to bank early rounds and leave his dance-partner requiring a knockout to win.
The game-plan should be similar once again for Parker, who has displayed a marked improvement since partnering up with Andy Lee, but the strategy may need a tweak to make Zhang work hard for the first six-rounds and test his questionable fitness.
The longer the fight goes on, the more you’ve got to favour Parker, and we believe that he’s capable of seeing out the first six rounds and claiming another shock win.
Prediction – Joseph Parker in rounds 7-12 or on points
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Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou