THE RESULT: Despite being knocked down in both round three and round eight, Joseph Parker stuck to his game plan and came on strong in the third act to outpoint Zhilei Zhang and take his WBO interim heavyweight title in Riyadh. Scores after 12 completed rounds were: 113-113, 114-112, and 115-111. KEY MOMENTS: Rather bizarrely, … Read more
None of this is true of Friday’s (March 8) event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, however. Instead, we have in Anthony Joshua, Francis Ngannou, Zhilei Zhang, and Joseph Parker four heavyweights who conduct themselves impeccably and feel no need to misbehave, act out of character, or spin a yarn. Fortunate in that respect – in so … Read more
THE manner of Joe Joyce’s second defeat to Zhilei Zhang last September was enough to have many asking whether the British heavyweight should retire from boxing or not. His seemingly relentless charge to a shot at one of the four world heavyweight belts was halted by Zhang via sixth-round stoppage and then, in the rematch, … Read more
THE heavyweight division will serve up a tasty match-up as part of the Anthony Joshua-Francis Ngannou undercard on Friday, March 8 in Saudi Arabia. Fresh off a career-boosting win over Deontay Wilder last month, Joseph Parker will next face Zhilei Zhang, who crushed the lofty ambitions of Joe Joyce on two occasions in 2023. With … Read more
By Matt Christie ONCE upon a time in Saudi Arabia, the man widely regarded as the best heavyweight in the world was almost beaten by a debutant and subsequently had to postpone a fight with his closest rival. Less than two months later in the same Kingdom, a card featuring several other top heavyweights, which … Read more
ZHILEI ZHANG wasn’t surprised when he heard that Anthony Joshua’s next opponent will be Francis Ngannou. The Chinese heavyweight was one of the names linked with Joshua following the Brit’s one-sided win over Otto Wallin and also Joseph Parker’s dominant win over Deontay Wilder, Joshua’s proposed next opponent, last month. On Friday (January 5), however, … Read more
By Elliot Worsell IF you had told me that on Monday, October 30, two days after a “boxing match” between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou, I would spend my morning drawing up a list of five potential opponents for Francis Ngannou, in a boxing ring, I wouldn’t know which of us was crazier: you or … Read more
