Deontay Wilder vs Zhilei Zhang eyed for stunning Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou undercard

06/01/2024 10:37

Deontay Wilder reportedly could fight Zhilei Zhang on the undercard of Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou.

It has now been confirmed that AJ will face the former UFC heavyweight champion next in Saudi Arabia, with the date said to be March 8.

The fight has been signed as part of Riyadh Season under the stewardship of Saudi’s GEA (General Entertainment Authority) chairman His Excellency Turki Alalshikh.

He previously staged Tyson Fury vs Ngannou in October and AJ’s clash with Otto Wallin which shared a card with Wilder in December.

It’s known that the plan was for Joshua and Wilder to meet in March, however the American’s defeat to Joseph Parker scuppered this possibility.

As a result, a deal has now been agreed for AJ to fight Ngannou instead.

All is not lost for Wilder though, as he may well return to the ring in a big fight sooner than many expected.

According to American journalists Chris Mannix and Dan Rafael, Wilder could fight Zhilei Zhang on the undercard of Joshua vs Ngannou on March 8.

Both men report that Zhang is expected to box on the show, as is Wilder – it’s possible that they could fight each other or return in separate bouts.

Either way, it’s clear that a stacked undercard is in the works for March 8, as has been the case for previous Riyadh Season events.

Zhang currently holds the WBO ‘interim’ belt, making him the second-in-line mandatory challenger for the winner of Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk on February 17.

The Chinese power puncher won this position by twice stopping Joe Joyce in London last year.

He will now be seen as a very stern test for Wilder if this fight does indeed materialise.