Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker will combat for the interim WBO title on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s showdown with Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia.
A bout between Zhang and Deontay Wilder had beforehand been mentioned, however the Chinese language heavyweight contender will now tackle Parker in Riyadh on Friday, March 8.
The New Zealander vaulted himself again into title competition with a dominant unanimous resolution win over Wilder on the Kingdom Enviornment in December.
Former WBO heavyweight champion Parker now faces the interim title-holder Zhang, who’s coming off back-to-back stoppage wins over Joe Joyce in April and September final yr, and has amassed a 26-1-1 (21) file since turning skilled in August 2014.
The primary of these victories towards British heavyweight Joyce noticed Zhang, 40, declare the interim WBO title. The total model is at the moment held by Oleksandr Usyk, who faces Tyson Fury in a bout for undisputed standing in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, February 17.
Parker, in the meantime, fought 4 occasions in 2023 and notched up victories in all of these to place an Eleventh-round KO by Joyce in September 2022 behind him.
The 31-year-old’s file now stands at 34-3 (23) and his promoter, David Higgins, advised Sky Sports activities final month he believes Parker has silenced the critics following that upset win over the hard-punching Wilder.
“For me, it was the best performance of Joseph’s career,” Higgins stated.
“The reason I say that is because those massive, global, pay-per-view fights have a special pressure about them, the eyes of the world are upon you and against his opponent, a murderous puncher, one of the most feared in history, you can’t really describe what that pressure is like until you’ve been in that situation.
“A few occasions he got here up brief [in his career], however this time he maintained a cool head, was affected person, confirmed intent, caught to the combat plan, withstood the strain. He did not simply win however dominated Wilder.
“His doubters and the people writing him off, he’s certainly shut that crowd up. In New Zealand, the leading newspapers said he is back, and he’s got another run at a world title.”