JOSEPH PARKER has revealed a fight with Zhilei Zhang was “locked in” before the New Zealander signed on to face Deontay Wilder instead last month.
Having capped off a busy 2023 with the biggest win of his career, Parker says he would be more than happy to now revisit a meeting with the Chinese heavyweight.
“Before I signed the fight with Wilder, Zhang and I already locked in to have a fight,” Parker told Boxing News. “I already agreed terms. So, I don’t think it’s a hard fight to make. But at the moment I haven’t heard anything back. I think both teams are still working on it behind the scenes. I’ve just been busy drinking coconuts and eating mango. So, hopefully I can hear something soon.”
Already the heavyweight division has two more dates for fans to look forward to: February 17 and March 9. Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury meet next month to crown the official heavyweight champion, and then a few weeks later Anthony Joshua faces MMA star Francis Ngannou. There are rumours, too, that Zhang could face Wilder on the undercard in March.
“Whatever fights they make on this card, or all the cards they’re working on, they are great fights,” Parker said. “Zhang and Wilder together. Think about it; that’s massive. I would like to be fighting Zhang or whoever they have available. I think it’s just exciting to see all these big fight fights happen.”
With March 9 just nine weeks away, Parker is aware he will have to make a decision soon about his own preparations if a fight is offered to him.
“I reckon give it a week or two,” he said. “I’m going to finish this trip off in Samoa and then head home to New Zealand and then head straight up to Ireland. It’s good to be in camp and stay ready, stay fit, stay focused and whatever pops up – whether it’s March, whether it’s April – whenever it is you’re ready to go.”
The one-sided nature of Parker’s win over Wilder surprised many. It also elevated his career to a higher position than when he held the WBO belt seven years ago. The 31-year-old is now ready for more big fights, whether that happens to be against Zhang, Filip Hrgovic, or a rematch against Joe Joyce, who knocked Parker out in the 11th round of a fight in September 2022.
“I know that the version of myself that fought Deontay Wilder is a lot different to the version that fought Joe Joyce,” Parker said. “So, the only way to see both versions of Joe Joyce and myself is to make a fight happen this year.”
