Heavyweight powerhouse Zhilei Zhang, who is still waiting for his next fight to get done after his most recent showing saw him take out a faded Deontay Wilder, has some pretty damning words for former two-time heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua. “Big Bang,” who, of course, boxed AJ during the 2012 Olympic Games in London, dropping a decision to the Brit, says that Joshua is “finished” and should now “look into investment” on the safe side of the ropes.
Zhang, who says that despite his Joshua is done claims still wants to fight the man, remarked how in his opinion AJ promoter Eddie Hearn “will not put him anywhere near me.”
Speaking with AceOdds, 41-year-old Zhang suggested that Joshua should become a businessman now.
“My personal humble opinion is that he is finished, and he should look into investment,” Zhang said. “He should look into retirement and get himself wrapped up with the business side of it. Whatever he wants to do, just go ahead and choose that route. With everything being said, of course, I do want to fight him, but I don’t think he wants to fight me. I don’t think Eddie Hearn will put him anywhere near me.”
Joshua, who was supposed to be desperate for revenge over the man who knocked him out the last time he fought, this being Daniel Dubois, is now set to return in the summer, Hearn said recently. There was talk of AJ going into an immediate rematch with Dubois, but it’s not happening. Maybe this is why Zhang, 27-2-1(22), feels Joshua is finished, for if he still had the real, genuine fighting heart and the pride that goes with it, he would indeed have gone into an immediate rematch with Dubois, niggling injuries, the necessity for a pretty quick return to training camp and all.
But Joshua, 28-4(25), will now return in the summer (this then could be June, July, maybe August, so getting on for a year after the loss to Dubois). As for Zhang, who might he fight next? If it’s not the Dubois fight Zhang gets, then who could it be? It’s a shame sometimes how seemingly all but natural to make heavyweight fights do not get over the line. A rematch at the pro level between Joshua and Zhang really could have been quite something.
