Deontay Wilder, with a record of 43-3-1, has had an amazing career as 42 of his victories have come via knockout. However, following his defeat against Joseph Parker in the ‘Day of Reckoning’ match, things took a turn for the worst.
After his devastating defeat, the fight against former World Heavyweight Champion AJ was shelved. Expectations for highly anticipated boxing matches are growing, as whispers of a possible fight between Zhilei Zhang and Deontay Wilder are spreading.
Is Deontay Wilder vs Zhilei Zhang bout officially confirmed?
As Deontay Wilder suffered a loss against Joseph Parker in Riyadh, his chances of fighting Anthony Joshua got quashed. Now reports are floating for his potential match-up with Zhilei Zhang, the interim World Heavyweight Champion, who’s looking to fight big names like Usyk, AJ and Fury.
Zhang holds a record of 26-1-1. As of now he doesn’t have a rematch with AJ but reports suggest that he might feature on his under-card to fight Deontay Wilder. Renowned journalist Michael Benson took to X and shared a few details about the match-up.
Benson said, “Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang reportedly could return on the undercard of Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou, which may in fact take place on Friday, March 8th. It’s claimed Wilder and Zhang could fight each other or appear in separate fights.”
‼️ Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang reportedly could return on the undercard of Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou, which may in fact take place on Friday, March 8th. It’s claimed Wilder and Zhang could fight each other or appear in separate fights. [According to @SIChrisMannix]
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) January 5, 2024
Regarding the fight, there are many rumors circulating, but nothing is official as of yet. Reactions from the crowd on this possible fight have been divided. It appears that some people no longer believe in Wilder’s powers and have said that Zhang will put Wilder to sleep. Some, however, see it as Wilder’s opportunity to redeem himself following his humiliating defeat to Parker.
Details on Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou superfight
Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou are scheduled to square off in Riyadh on March 9. Anthony is returning from his third consecutive victory of the year, and a commanding victory over Otto Walin in December. AJ declared that he is prepared to fight Hrgovic, Tyson Fury, and Usyk in the ring.
Ngannou, on the other hand, is returning from an outstanding performance against Tyson Fury. Although he was able to take The Gypsy King to the canvas during the bout, he lost by split decision. Controversial remarks accompanied his defeat.
It should be exciting to watch the matchup between the former UFC Heavyweight Champion and the former United World Heavyweight Champion. Francis is anticipated to be a formidable opponent for AJ after putting up an excellent effort in his boxing debut. “Further details will be shared in the Press conference on Jan 15,” said Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter.
Boxing fans may expect an interesting March as reports indicate that Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder will compete on the same card but in different fights, as was the case in December as well. Neither AJ nor Wilder will have an easy time in this battle this time.
