ZHILEI ZHANG and Martin Bakole could next be fighting one another if Turki Alalshikh gets his way.
The two heavyweight behemoths are in Alalshikh’s plans for a future matchup according to ESPN.
Zhang’s momentum from his two wins over Joe Joyce was shattered when Joseph Parker beat the Chinese fighter on points in March. However, ‘Big Bang’ returned with a… bang when he stopped former WBC champion and wrecking ball Deontay Wilder.
Martin Bakole had been on the outside looking in at the heavyweight landscape until earlier this month when he bashed Jared Anderson about in Los Angeles. The American put up a brave display against Bakole but the power of the Scottish-based Congolese boxer was too much for Anderson to handle. All of which was witnessed by Alalshikh who staged the first Riyadh Season in America alongside Matchroom and Queensberry.
With the champions – Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois – tied up with fight dates in September and December contenders like Zhang and Bakole need to stay active. Should the fight go ahead Alalshikh is looking at Africa or China to stage the contest.
“I would love to fight big Zhang in December in China,” Bakole told Sky Sports.
“I heard His Excellency wanted to make the fight in China so that’s the fight I’m looking for. If that happens I’ll be so happy.
“I’m ready to fight big Zhang in China before his fans. I always fight outside, I went to America and stopped Anderson, I went to Paris and beat Tony Yoka so I would love to go to China and beat Zhang in front of his fans, that’s a fight I’d love and I’m looking forward to it.”
Zhang and Bakole have 52 fights between them with only two losses but the more exciting fact is that both are heavyweight demolition men who would likely put on a jaw-dropping fight.