Terry Lane, one of Zhilei Zhang’s managers, believes that none of the elite heavyweights are eager to face the southpaw Zhang, whose straight lefts made all the difference in the fight against Joyce. Lane claims that several top heavyweights have turned down offers to face Zhang and that only Oleksandr Usyk, the WBO, WBA, and IBF champion, and Tyson Fury, the WBC titlist, would be willing to take on the challenge.
Lane expressed his confidence in Zhang’s abilities, stating, “I believe Zhilei is the best heavyweight in the world. Anybody who thinks otherwise, I don't think they are really paying attention.” He went on to say that Zhang has been turned down by Anthony Joshua, Derek Chisora, and Dillian Whyte, eliminating them from contention.
However, arranging a fight against either Usyk or Fury would require significant effort. Usyk has mandatory commitments with Daniel Dubois and Hrgovic. While Joyce holds the contractual rights to a rematch with Zhang, it’s unclear whether he will choose to exercise that option immediately. If Joyce decides against it, this could open the door for Zhang to face Fury, who shares the same promoter, Queensberry, which also has options on Zhang.
A Queensberry representative mentioned the possibility of Fury defending his title this summer, making Zhang a potential contender. Lane remains hopeful, saying, “We want to talk with George (Warren) and make that happen. Our future plans are to be future world champion.” With the current uncertainty surrounding the sanctioning body, Zhang’s team is eyeing the toughest and most significant fights to solidify his status in the boxing world.
Image Credit: DAZN