Joseph Parker vs. Zhilei Zhang added to Joshua-Ngannou card on March 8

THE heavyweight division will serve up a tasty match-up as a part of the Anthony Joshua-Francis Ngannou undercard on Friday, March 8 in Saudi Arabia.

Recent off a career-boosting win over Deontay Wilder final month, Joseph Parker will subsequent face Zhilei Zhang, who crushed the lofty ambitions of Joe Joyce on two events in 2023.

With final month’s Day of Reckoning occasion in Riyadh respiration life into an uneventful division, the heart beat is quickening in 2024. Oleksandr Usyk-Tyson Fury is scheduled for February 17, Joshua returns towards the person who nearly beat Fury, and now there may be the addition of Parker vs. Zhang.

Zhang’s two performances towards Joyce final yr, which included a surprising third-round knockout win, propelled the Chinese language fighter into the combo on the high finish of heavyweight enterprise.

For the over-cooked heavyweight super-fight between Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder to happen in 2024 all Wilder needed to do was beat Joseph Parker final month. Nonetheless, the New Zealander ripped up these plans by outclassing the American over 12 rounds.

In an interview with Boxing Information this month Parker revealed {that a} struggle with Zhang had been agreed earlier than the supply to face Wilder got here in.

“Earlier than I signed the struggle with Wilder, Zhang and I already locked in to have a struggle,” Parker mentioned. “I already agreed phrases. So, I don’t suppose it’s a tough struggle to make.”

Hypothesis had additionally linked Zhang to a struggle towards Wilder on the Joshua-Ngannou card, however as an alternative the 40-year-old will tackle the previous WBO belt holder.

The March 8 primary occasion pits Joshua, recent off his spectacular stoppage win over Otto Wallin, towards former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. Scheduled for 10 rounds, the match-up offers Joshua a possibility to go one higher than Fury, his long-term rival, who scraped previous Ngannou final October.

A struggle which was anticipated to be a stroll within the park for the WBC belt-holder was something however and within the third spherical Fury was dropped by the debutant. Nonetheless, after 10 rounds Fury was awarded a cut up choice, a lot to his aid.