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Zhang: If Hearn is Really Interested in Joshua Fight – Send Over a Contract!

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Heavyweight contender Zhilei Zhang believes a showdown with Anthony Joshua is the perfect scenario – as both heavyweight champions are signed on to fight each other in the coming year.

Zhang is currently riding with a lot of steam after stopping Joe Joyce in back to back fights.

The Chinese giant would like to get a measure of revenge against Joshua, who holds an amateur victory over him in the 2012 Olympic games.

At one point they were stablemates under Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom banner, but the fight never happened.

Zhang is the WBO’s mandatory challenger to unified champion Oleksandr Usyk. The unbeaten Ukrainian is signed on to fight WBC champion Tyson Fury in an undisputed fight in 2024. There is a two-way rematch clause, which creates the likelihood of them fighting each other twice.

While the champions are busy fighting it out, Zhang would like to get his hands on Joshua. Hearn has recently expressed some interest in such a fight.

“I think Joshua is a big option for me considering Fury and Usyk have signed for a unification fight to happen next. I have history with Anthony Joshua, and I used to be with Matchroom Boxing, but they never wanted to make the fight with me,” Zhang said to Gambling.com.

“All of a sudden, there is now talk from Eddie Hearn about a fight between myself and Anthony Joshua, but I never saw anything materialize with the fight. If they are really interested, I am here 24/7 so send over the contract and we will get it on.

“When I was with Matchroom, my team spoke to Matchroom face to face, and they knew I wanted the fight, but they never decided to make it for whatever reason. I can go to London for the fight with Joshua, Saudi Arabia is an option or even China.

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BOXING

Zhilei Zhang Ready, Willing To Fight Anthony Joshua Next: Send The Contract Over

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Anthony Joshua

Chinese heavyweight giant Zhilei Zhang is ready and willing to fight Anthony Joshua next.

Joshua holds a decision win over Zhang at the 2012 Olympic games.

Zhang had a huge 2023 after back to back stoppage wins over Olympic silver medal winner Joe Joyce.

The victories had made Zhang the WBO’s mandatory challenger to unified champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Joshua had picked up two wins this year, with a decision win over Jermaine Franklin and a knockout of Robert Helenius.

The British superstar had hoped to return before the end of the year, in a showdown with former WBC champion Deontay Wilder. Those plans have hit a few roadblocks – after some unexpected management changes with the group that runs boxing Saudi Arabia. The group in question was putting up the money to stage the fight in the Middle East.

Joshua is still hoping to fight again in the coming months – and he wants to fight a top opponent if the Wilder discussions completely fall through.

Anthony Joshua

If a contract was placed on the table, Zhang would sign for the fight if the terms were acceptable.

“That is definitely an option for me,’ Zhang told Metro.co.uk. “You heard Anthony saying there are options out there, but is he serious? Send the contract over and if everything looks good I’ll sign it right away.”

Zhang is very interested to see what will happen with Usyk’s next fight, which is slated to be an undisputed showdown with WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.

“Right now, we’re still looking to see what happens with the unification, because the unification overrides everything,” Zhang said.

“We’re still looking to see what happens with that. But with that done, and it’s out of the way then definitely I will exercise my mandatory challenger position.”

“The options are open and still out there. But for me and my team, we’re looking at the top names. We’re looking at Fury, Usyk, Joshua, Wilder. However, if those guys don’t want to accept my challenge or run away from me, that’s a different story. Then we go to boxers like Parker, Ortiz, Chisora, Dubois. Everything is possible, I’m not scared of fighting anyone. My target right now is for the bigger names.”

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BOXING

Andy Ruiz: “I Think Zhilei Zhang Could Beat Anthony Joshua”

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Anthony Joshua

Zhilei Zhang was essentially left for dead. In 2021, he was forced to settle for a majority decision draw against longtime journeyman Jerry Forrest. He also suffered the first loss of his career, albeit controversially, against Filip Hrgovic one year later. Zhang did sandwich in a few wins in between but they were against fighters that never came close to fighting for a world title, never mind winning one.

Ultimately, when the Chinese native was given the call to take on Joe Joyce, most weren’t giving him much of a chance. Joyce (15-2, 14 KOs) was on the verge of his own title shot and routinely ran over his competition. Zhang was expected to show up for his gaudy check, take his beating like a man, and head to the back of the line. However, as a stone-faced Zhang sauntered through the Copper Box Arena earlier this year, he was all business.

It was a fairly close fight on April 15th. That is until a ringside doctor waved things off due to the swelling protruding around Joyce’s right eye. The two did it again in five months. This time around, Zhang got rid of his man much quicker, doing so in the third round.

Anthony Joshua

Now, with back-to-back big-time wins plastered to his record, Zhang (26-1-1, 21 KOs) is on the hunt for another opportunity. Of course, in a perfect world, the 38-year-old would love to get his hands on Tyson Fury. That wish, nevertheless, is nothing more than a pipe dream. With Fury set to face Francis Ngannou before an undisputed showdown vs. Oleksandr Usyk, Zhang wants the next best available opponent…Anthony Joshua fits the mold.

The former two-time unified champ has rebuilt his career nicely since suffering consecutive defeats against Usyk. Presently, the 34-year-old is entrenched in prolonged conclaves with Deontay Wilder as they attempt to lock in a showdown for next year.

For now, Joshua doesn’t want to sit idly by. Instead, he believes he’ll be at his sharpest if he continues to fight frequently. Zhang, by and large, is waiting by the phone hoping and praying that Joshua gives him a call. If the hulking Britt ultimately decides to give him a ring, Andy Ruiz Jr. believes it wouldn’t be a sagacious move. Considering Zhang’s form, coupled with Joshua’s so-so showings, Ruiz has a feeling that Zhang could get the job done over his former rival.

“I think Zhang could beat Joshua,” Ruiz told a group of reporters. “For sure

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Zhang Adviser on Hearn, Joshua: They Want Nothing to Do with Zhang; They’re So Avoiding Him

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Anthony Joshua

A representative for Zhilei Zhang doesn’t have high hopes that his charge will ever get to square off against Anthony Joshua.

China’s Zhang is coming off a rousing third-round knockout of Joe Joyce in their rematch last month that was more definitive than their first encounter, in April, which ended with Zhang stopping Joyce in the sixth round.

The two consecutive wins over a once-highly regarded contender have made the Chinese southpaw a hot commodity these days within the heavyweight ranks. After the win over Joyce, Zhang immediately called out Tyson Fury, the WBC champion, to a showdown.

That match-up, however, will not materialize anytime soon since Fury has a scheduled fight with Francis Ngannou on Oct. 28, followed by a showdown with Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship.

Zhang’s second most desirable option is to take on London’s Joshua, a former titlist and one of the biggest stars in British sports for the past decade.

Anthony Joshua

But according to Terry Lane, a co-manager for Zhang, Joshua nor his handlers—chiefly his promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom—have any interest in that fight.

“Eddie knows,” Lane said on the YouTube channel of GFunky Boxing. “Put the contract in front of us, we’ll sign it right this second to fight AJ. We’ll sign it right this second.

“We could do it in China, we could do it in Saudi Arabia, we could do it in the UK, we have multiple options. The money’s there. This is what we want to do. I know their side—no matter what they say publicly—they want nothing to do with this fight. They want nothing to do with Zhang Zhilei. They’re so avoiding him but listen that’s the fight we want.”

Zhang (26-1-1, 21 KOs), who has two fights remaining with Queensberry Promotions, was previously promoted by Hearn’s Matchroom but they parted ways after Zhang dropped a disputed decision to Filip Hrgovic last August. Lane has suggested the likes of Joseph Parker and Luis Ortiz for Zhang’s next fight.

Hearn has indicated that Joshua (26-3, 23 KOs) could return to the ring in December

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