Zhilei Zhang has welcomed a possible dustup with two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, just under 11 weeks out from his appetizing assignment against Agit Kabayel.
‘Big Bang’ comes off a punishing display against Deontay Wilder, engineering a stunning fifth-round finish to put himself in the shop window for a future title shot.
Before that, the 41-year-old suffered his second professional defeat against former world champion Joseph Parker, flooring his opponent twice before losing a majority decision.
But now, the consensus top-ten heavyweight is gearing up for a compelling clash on February 22, featuring on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2.
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Zhilei Zhang confirms rumors for Anthony Joshua fight
Zhang and Kabayel will lock horns for the WBC interim heavyweight title, with the two formidable contenders looking to take on the winner of Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury 2.
Like his upcoming opponent, Kabayel has already showcased his skills on two Riyadh Season cards, producing highlight-reel stoppages against Arslanbek Makhmudov and Frank Sanchez.
And so, after dispatching two avoided heavyweights in decisive fashion, the 32-year-old will enter his next outing with a tremendous degree of confidence.
That said, Zhang has already flirted with the idea of facing Anthony Joshua, who comes off a crushing fifth-round stoppage defeat to IBF titlist Daniel Dubois.
But while the Brit is yet to reveal his next outing, his sixth-place ranking with the WBC would indicate that he could, indeed, square off against the winner of Zhang vs. Kabayel.
“There’s rumors saying that, if I beat Kabayel, I will position myself to fight Joshua next,” Zhang told BoxNation.
“We don’t know how true that is, but hopefully, if that happens, I’ll see him in the ring.”
Lawrence Okolie targets the winner of Zhilei Zhang vs. Agit Kabayel
While Joshua remains a viable option, former world cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie, too, could put himself in the mix for a WBC interim title fight.
The 31-year-old made his heavyweight debut last night, pulverizing limited operator Hussein Muhamed in an emphatic first-round display.
Not only that, but ‘The Sauce’ is ranked number five by the WBC, putting him ahead of Joshua in his quest to become a three-division champion.
But still, if Zhang were to take care of business against Kabayel, the Chinaman may choose to exact revenge on Joshua, who famously scuppered his podium spot at the 2012 Olympic games.