Heavyweight contender Zhilei Zhang has stated he’s centered on only one man forward of his return to the ring.
Zhang meets skilled New Zealander Joseph Parker in Saudi Arabia on March 8, and he isn’t wanting past the previous WBO champion.
Zhang instructed Seconds Out that whereas his coaching group, together with Shaun George, is placing within the work and watching tape, Zhang can also be finding out Parker intently.
“I do on a private stage,” Zhang stated, of monitoring Parker. “After I eat, I take into consideration him, after I go to the toilet I take into consideration him, I made it a behavior that he’s all the time in my thoughts.”
Parker scored a large factors win over Deontay Wilder in Saudi Arabia on December 23 on the massive Day of Reckoning present in considered one of 2023’s most important upsets. Many put that victory right down to Wilder’s inactivity, however Zhang gave Parker credit score.
“It’s not solely inactivity, it’s additionally Parker’s means to showcase himself within the ring,” added Zhang. “That’s why I actually take note of what he’s doing.
“I had no concept who I used to be going to combat [after Zhang beat Joe Joyce last year]. After I first reached out to his [Parker’s] promotional group, I truly bought a unfavorable reply, nevertheless it turned out Parker was on trip and he didn’t know what occurred. It might need been a miscommunication, however he bought on board.”
Zhang has a lesser WBO belt and can also be the necessary challenger for Oleksandr Usyk. However Usyk fights Tyson Fury in Might, and there’s a rematch clause in that contest, however Zhang refuses to look past Parker.
“For me my precedence is Joe Parker,” stated Zhang. “With out beating Joe Parker, none of that is attainable, my solely focus is Joseph Parker on March 8.”
The Chinese language star additionally feels it’s extra seemingly he fights Usyk than Fury sooner or later, though he feels a well-prepared Fury has the sting in that Might unification combat.
“Tyson has the benefit if he has coaching camp,” continued Zhang.
“The very first thing that got here to my thoughts is Tyson Fury has so many variables, you don’t know when he’s going to say one thing or announce his retirement, you simply don’t know, and with this WBO [interim] title it places me in line to combat Usyk when the time comes.”
No less than Zhang’s rating has made him a extra appetising opponent. Beforehand, he was only a dangerman, now there’s a purpose to combat him so he at the least has some leverage.
“I used to be completely excessive threat earlier than the belt, however now with the excessive threat comes the rewards,” he admitted.
Then, requested about whether or not he wished to do a greater job in opposition to Parker than Zhang’s former newbie opponent Anthony Joshua did (Joshua outpointed Parker in 2018), Zhang stated it didn’t matter how they did in opposition to frequent foes.
“I can’t actually examine myself with Joshua as a result of we fought the identical man, or we’re going to face the identical man, it solely occurs when me and him slug it out within the ring and we discover out who’s higher,” he stated.
Joshua fights Francis Ngannou on the identical invoice in Saudi Arabia.
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