Zhilei Zhang to defend interim title vs. Joseph Parker on March 8
Fight added as co-feature on Joshua-Ngannou card
A note to Fight Freaks Unite readers: I created Fight Freaks Unite in January 2021 and eight months later it also became available for paid subscriptions for additional content — and as a way to help keep this newsletter going and for readers to support independent journalism. If you haven’t upgraded to a paid subscription please consider it. If you have already, I truly appreciate it! Also, consider a gift subscription for the Fight Freak in your life.
Zhilei Zhang will defend the WBO interim heavyweight title against former WBO titleholder Joseph Parker in yet another significant bout in the division that will take place at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Zhang and Parker will fight March 8 (DAZN PPV) in the co-feature of the “Knockout Chaos” card headlined by former two-time unified heavyweight titlist Anthony Joshua’s 10-rounder against Francis Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion, who will take part in his second boxing match.
Joshua and Ngannou met face-to-face at the kickoff news conference on Monday in London, which was attended by His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia, which is in the midst of bankrolling several big-time fights. Just before the news conference Alalshikh announced the undercard for the event via social media and in a news release.
Zhang against Parker would normally headline its own card, but Alalshikh is pouring resources into deep cards, making the match between top five heavyweights possible for the Joshua-Ngannou undercard.
Please upgrade to a paid subscription for full access to all posts and comments — and also help support independent journalism
Make sure to check out the 2023 Fight Freaks Unite award stories
Zhang (26-1-1, 21 KOs), 40, the 6-foot-6, 280-pound Chinese southpaw, is coming off his two biggest wins, knockouts of Joe Joyce to win the interim belt via sixth-round TKO in April, when he forced the stoppage by badly swelling Joyce’s right eye, and in a more dominant showing in their immediate rematch in September when he knocked Joyce out with a right hook in the third round.
Parker (34-3, 23 KOs), 32, of New Zealand, suffered a very harsh 11th-round knockout loss to Joyce for the vacant interim belt in September 2022 in an all-action fight but he rebounded with four straight wins in 2023, including in his final bout of the year when he pulled a major upset by easily outpointing former WBC titleholder Deontay Wilder on Dec. 23 on the “Day of Reckoning” card in Riyadh, where Joshua stopped Otto Wallin in the main event.
Joshua and Wilder had signed to fight each other in a long-awaited showdown in the March 8 main event but that went by the wayside because Wilder lost to Parker.
Joshua was instead lined up to face Ngannou and Parker was rewarded for that big win with another high-profile fight with Zhang on what will be the fourth major heavyweight-headlined card during Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season festival.
The first one took place Oct. 28 with lineal/WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury getting knocked down and eking out a disputed split decision over Ngannou in his pro boxing debut. That was followed by the Dec. 23 “Day of Reckoning” card. Fury and three-belt titlist Oleksandr Usyk will meet for the undisputed heavyweight title on Feb. 17 on a card dubbed “Ring of Fire” and Joshua-Ngannou headline “Knockout Chaos.”
Also on the Match 8 card, WBC featherweight titlist Rey Vargas (36-1, 22 KOs), 33, of Mexico, will make his first defense against Nick Ball (19-0, 11 KOs), 26, of England, who handily outpointed Isaac Dogboe in a final eliminator in November.
Vargas, a former junior featherweight titlist, won the featherweight belt by split decision over Mark Magsayo in July 2022. But for his next fight Vargas moved up for a shot at the vacant WBC junior lightweight title and was easily outpointed by O’Shaquie Foster last February, after which Vargas said he would return to featherweight.
In another undercard fight, European lightweight champion Gavin Gwynne (17-2-1, 5 KOs), 33, of Wales, will face Mark Chamberlain (14-0, 10 KOs), 25, of England.
Also, appearing on the card against opponents to be announced: Australian heavyweight up-and-comer Justis Huni (8-0, 4 KOs), 24; cruiserweight Roman Fury (3-0, 1 KO), 27, of England, who is the younger half-brother of Tyson Fury; junior middleweight Jack McGann (9-0-1, 6 KOs), 30, of England; and junior welterweight Ziyad Almaayouf (4-0, 1 KO), 23, of Saudi Arabia.
A note to subscribers
I sincerely appreciate your readership. If you’re reading, it means you love boxing just like I do. If you’ve been reading you also know the quality and quantity of what I produce. It’s one-stop shopping. Read the newsletters and there is no need to search multiple websites or click a multitude of links to get the latest news, opinion and detailed fight schedule. Everything you need is in one spot and delivered directly to your inbox (or via phone alert if you download for free the superb Substack app). You don’t have to hunt for the news; it comes to you.
I believe that is worth something, so while I will continue providing stories, notes and the schedule for free, I encourage you to upgrade to a paid subscription for the most content. A paid subscription is your way of keeping this reader-supported newsletter going and supporting independent journalism. I am beholden to no network, promoter, manager, sanctioning body or fighter. If you have read my work at all during the past 24 years I’ve covered professional boxing you know that I keep it real and that will not change.
To upgrade your subscription please go here:
Thank you so much for your support of Fight Freaks Unite!
Photos: Zhang: Queensberry Promotions; Parker: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danrafael1/
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanRafael1
Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanRafaelBoxing
Great card the saudis are coming up with the money it reminds me of the don king cards