Olympic silver medalist Zhang Zhilei was negotiating a potential Deontay Wilder fight for the upcoming Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou co-main event on March 8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Instead, “Big Bang” will lace ‘em up against the last man to defeat “The Bronze Bomber,” former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker.
The bout was announced during today’s kickoff press conference in London (watch it here).
“I was asking for the fight with Joshua, a rematch, after [my] win over Deontay Wilder, but I guess they have their own plans and the path that they want to take,” Parker previously told Newstalk ZB with Jason Pine. “I’ve seen that’s been announced, it’s massive news, and I guess because Francis Ngannou put on a great performance against Tyson [Fury], who didn’t put on the best performance himself. I think a lot of people are going to be interested to see what Joshua does with Francis Ngannou.”
The winner of Parker vs. Zhilei will have stiff competition from the winner of Joshua vs. Ngannou as it relates to scoring the next WBC heavyweight title fight. As it stands, Tyson Fury is expected to put his belt on the line against Oleksandr Usyk next month in Riyadh and “The Predator” is already planning for his “Gypsy King” rematch.
Also competing on March 8 in Riyadh is WBC featherweight champion Rey Vargas, who puts his title on the line against top division contender Nick Ball. In addition, lightweight slugger Mark Chamberlain will look to keep his undefeated record intact when he collides with fellow British sensation Gavin Gwynne.
Expect more Joshua vs. Ngannou fight card announcements in the coming weeks.