Joseph Parker predicts a knockout win for himself over WBO interim heavyweight champion Zhilei Zhang in their fight next month on March 8th at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,

The former WBO champion Parker (34-3, 23 KOs) feels confidence coming off his upset win over Deontay Wilder last December, and he believes he’s got the momentum to defeat Zhang (26-1-1, 21 KOs) to put himself in position to fight for the undisputed championship.

Zhang is a much different type of fighter than the timid, 38-year-old Wilder, who looked washed in their fight last December.

Underestimating Zhang? Not Parker

“I’m preparing for the best version of Zhang. I know a lot of people are saying that he’s ’40, he’s old, and he’s going to fade.’ A lot of people are favoring him, and saying I’m young and hungry and got speed and movement,” said Joseph Parker to iFL TV about his fight next month against WBO interim heavyweight champion Zhilei Zhang in Saudi Arabia.

“I will bang the ‘Big Bang,'” said Parker when asked for a prediction for his fight against Zhang.

If Parker is serious about his plan to KO Zhang, he’s going to have to avoid getting hit by his thunderous shots, as he’s a bigger puncher than the guy that he was knocked out by, Joe Joyce, in 2022. Parker’s inability to stand up to Joyce’s firepower isn’t a good sign going into this fight against Zhang.

“I’m not underestimating him. I don’t think he’s old and slow. Listen, Zhang is coming with momentum, and he’s on point. So, I want the best Zhang there is because he’s going to bring out the best in me,” said Parker.

It would be smart for Parker to put the Wilder fight out of his mind, and stop glorifying what he did.

Title Ambitions

“We’re doing the best prep, and with each camp, I feel I’m going up and up. There’s only one way I can prove that I’m going up by showing it on fight night. I believe by going to Saudi Arabia and finishing by prep there, I believe I’m going to be primed and ready for another good performance,” said Parker.

Training with Andy Lee for the last two or three years, I’m finally understanding what he’s trying to teach me. It takes a while to ingrain things because there’s already other things that have been ingrained in me,” said Parker.