Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang, who have suffered defeats in their recent fights, are both eagerly seeking a significant victory.
Both heavyweights were defeated by Joseph Parker in December 2023 and March 2024, but they may have the opportunity to compete against each other in the future.
ESPN reported on Friday that there are discussions about a fight between the two fighters scheduled for June 1 in Saudi Arabia. While it would be a significant event on its own, it would actually serve as one of the supporting matches to the main event, which is the undisputed light-heavyweight title fight between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. With Matchroom and Queensberry both putting forth their Five vs. Five series of fights on the same card, there is great potential for an exhilarating night of boxing.
Promoter Eddie Hearn, who has been working with Turki Alalshikh (the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority) on various deals including bringing Anthony Joshua to Saudi for big fights told Boxing News that nothing is confirmed for what would be a crossroads fight between Wilder and Zhang.
George Warren, Frank Warren, and His Excellency engage in discussions about numerous exciting fights for major events, much like in the game Championship Manager. They explore potential matchups such as Andy Ruiz versus Deontay Wilder, Zhang versus Wilder, Agit Kabayel against Daniel Dubois, and Filip Hrgovic against Joshua. While nothing has been confirmed, the prospect of these fights is truly remarkable. In fact, they have probably mentioned around 30 different bouts.
Two men who could talk about Wilder vs. Zhang were former WBO cruiserweight title holder turned Sky Boxing pundit Johnny Nelson and Tony Bellew’s former trainer and part-time Sky Sports pundit Dave Coldwell. The Sheffield natives were in attendance last night (March 23) at the city’s Utilita Arena to watch super-lightweight contender Dalton Smith pass his toughest test yet against former world title challenger Jose Zepeda. Following the night’s action Nelson and Coldwell talked to BN about the possibility of the “The Bronze Bomber” taking on “Big Bang”.
Zhang showcasing his skills in a bout against Joseph Parker (Image courtesy of Mark Robinson, Matchroom Boxing)
Nelson commented, “That was a good fight. If Wilder is the fighter, it will be an amazing fight.”
When you see him perform like he did in the fight against Parker, it’s hard not to anticipate a disastrous outcome. You can’t help but wonder if that was just an isolated incident or if Wilder has already showcased his peak potential.
“Coldwell remarked, ‘What an entertaining bout! I would definitely tune in to watch that. After his previous fight, Wilder can’t possibly perform any worse, and Zhang has been consistent. It’s an excellent matchup, and I honestly can’t predict the winner, which is why I’m eager to witness it.'”
