WBO Interim heavyweight champion Zhilei Zhang has revealed a new targeted opponent as he continues to pursue the biggest names in the division in the hope of eventually becoming China’s first ever heavyweight world champion.
Zhang twice defeated Joe Joyce during 2023, establishing himself as a credible threat to both Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, and seemingly earning a shot at the victor of their upcoming showdown after winning Joyce’s interim belt and mandatory position.
Whilst most would be happy to wait and avoid risking such an opportunity, ‘Big Bang’ Zhang has continued to call out his fellow title hopefuls and revealed his willingness to fight on the Fury-Usyk undercard.
So far, Zhang has confirmed that he is opening to facing Daniel Dubois, Efe Ajagba and Francis Ngannou on the bill, and in an interview with Boxing Scene, he added Joseph Parker to his hitlist, who is fresh from a career-best win over Deontay Wilder in December.
“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’s position with the WBO puts him second-in-line for a shot at the winner of Fury-Usyk, with Filip Hrgovic ahead of him with the IBF due to the current rotation between the governing bodies.
However, it’s likely the IBF belt will become vacant in the aftermath of the undisputed bout, hence rumours that Anthony Joshua could face Hrgovic this year in a bid to become a three-time champion.
This would leave Zhang as the frontrunner for the shot at a unified champion, whether that be Fury or Usyk, although the forty-year-old would likely need to wait until 2025, due to a rematch clause in the spectacle.