Joseph Parker (34-3, 23 KOs), the New Zealand heavyweight boxer, disclosed in an interview with talkSPORT about the contractual agreement for his upcoming bout against the WBO "interim" heavyweight champion Zhilei Zhang (26-1-1, 21 KOs).
According to the contract, in the event of a Parker victory, Zhang is entitled to a rematch. This clause is due to Zhang's status as the "interim" champion, thereby making him the mandatory contender for the winner of the heavyweight division fight between WBC champion Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) and the titleholder of the WBO, WBA, IBO, and IBF belts, Oleksandr Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs). This highly anticipated match is scheduled for May 18 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
In 2023, Zhang achieved two knockout victories over Joe Joyce (15-2, 14 KOs), while Parker claimed a unanimous decision win in his latest fight against Deontay Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs).