Zhilei Zhang fights Joseph Parker on March 8, but he already has in mind another name for the fight he wants after that.
Zhang and Parker, a former WBO world heavyweight champion, will meet in Saudi Arabia on the undercard for Joshua’s fight with Francis Ngannou.
Most observers believe that in the event of a Joshua win, he will be teed up for an undisputed clash against Oleksandr Usyk or Tyson Fury, depending on who wins the undisputed status next month.
However, boxing has a way of throwing up surprises, so if Joshua is left with no clear fight on his hands for the rest of 2024, a fight against WBO interim champion Zhang would make some sense.
Speaking to Gambling.com, the veteran Chinese fighter said he would like to meet Joshua once more, having lost to him as an amateur in the 2012 Olympics.
He said: “I think everyone knows I want to fight AJ. We fought in the Olympics in 2012 and he beat me. But that was a long time ago.
“I am here if they want to do it. I want that fight very much - maybe I can ask him in person come 8 March.
“It is also my dream to fight in at home in China someday. Will it be next? I don’t know. But I am working with my promoter to explore the option.”
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