No one can ever blame Joseph Parker for taking the easy route.
Following his unexpected victory over fellow former world champion Deontay Wilder in Saudi Arabia last month, the New Zealander's next opponent was confirmed at a press conference in London on Monday evening (Tuesday NZT).
Parker (34-2, 23 KOs) has signed on the dotted line to face China's Zhilei Zhang (26-1-1, 21 KOs) in another heavyweight bout on Friday, March 8 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh -Blockbuster to compete.
The fight will serve as the co-main event of a showdown between British superstar Anthony Joshua (27-3, 24 KOs) and former UFC champion Francis Ngannou (0-1, 0 KOs), who faced off in the British capital on Monday (Tuesday NZT).
Ngannou only made his professional boxing debut in October but came close to scoring arguably the biggest breakthrough in the sport's history when he defeated WBC titleholder Tyson Fury before losing a split decision on the scorecards.
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Joseph Parker returns to the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, the scene of his surprise victory over Deontay Wilder.
Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) meets Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs) in Riyadh next month in a historic, undisputed duel for all four heavyweight belts, and Parker will prepare for the winner he finds a way past the powerful Zhang, who holds the interim WBO title.
Parker was not present at the press conference on Monday (Tuesday NZT) as he enjoys a well-deserved break with family, but the 32-year-old wants to get back in the gym quickly to prepare for the big challenge that lies ahead.
Standing at 6ft 6in (198cm) tall, the 40-year-old Zhang has emerged as one of the division's top contenders after back-to-back wins over Parker's nemesis Joe Joyce last year.
While Parker suffered his first knockout loss to the Brit in September 2022, the third defeat of his career, Zhang had no such problems and stopped “The Juggernaut” twice to become mandatory challenger to Usyk's WBO belt.
“Big Bang” Zhang, a silver medalist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics on home soil, owns a sledgehammer from the left and has suffered defeat only once as a professional, a controversial decision loss to Croatia's Filip Hrgovic in October 2022 in a fight against most Observer thought he had won.
Zhang had hinted that a fight with Parker was on the cards earlier this month, saying: “He's hot at the moment” after the New Zealander defeated the heavily favored Wilder.
And their high-stakes contest was once again pulled off at remarkably short notice thanks to the kingdom's seemingly limitless money pit, which human rights groups accuse them of using to “ruin sporting reputations.”
For his second meeting with Zhang, having lost a decision to him as a 19-year-old amateur in Baku, Azerbaijan in 2011, Parker is sure to be paid handsomely again – he reportedly earned $10 million against Wilder.
This will be the former WBO champion's third consecutive fight in the Kingdom, having stopped Canadian journeyman Simon Kean in Fury vs. Ngannou in October before a two-month fight against Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs). his best performance of his career came later.
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Zhilei Zhang scored back-to-back knockout wins over Joe Joyce last year to highlight his qualities.
The latest show, titled “Knockout Chaos,” will take place on a Friday evening (local time) to avoid a clash with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, scheduled to take place in Jeddah on Saturday, March 9.
Both Joshua and Ngannou struck a respectful tone at the press conference on Monday (Tuesday NZT) as the Cameroonian vowed to stun the world by scalping former two-time Unified champion Joshua.
“People always doubted me and I always proved them wrong,” said a confident Ngannou.
“It's clear that I'm causing trouble for elite boxers and AJ should prepare for a fight because I'm like nothing he's ever faced.
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Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou share a warm handshake at the press conference in London.
“It will be another spectacle for boxing fans in Riyadh, only this time I have no intention of leaving it up to the judges.”
Also on the card: Mexican Rey Vargas (36-1, 22 KOs) defends his WBO featherweight world title against Britain's Nick Ball (19-0, 11 KOs) and Australian heavyweight Justin Huni (8-0, 4 KOs). ) and Tyson Fury's younger brother Roman Fury (3-0, 1 KO) will also compete against opponents yet to be determined.
Parker will soon begin his training camp in the UK with coach Andy Lee, where they will plan to overthrow Zhang. The Kiwi's superior speed and agility are likely to be the deciding factor compared to the lumbering but flat-footed southpaw.
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