by Keith Idec
There was a time early in the fall when it seemed Zhilei Zhang would get an opportunity to avenge his loss to Joseph Parker.
Boxing News has confirmed, however, that Parker and Zhang have agreed to compete in separate heavyweight title fights February 22 as part of a stacked card at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. New Zealand’s Parker will challenge Daniel Dubois for the London native’s IBF belt, whereas China’s Zhang will square off against Germany’s Agit Kabayel in another 12-rounder for the WBC interim championship.
The card could also feature the light heavyweight championship rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol in the 12-round main event. Big Fight Weekend’s Dan Rafael first reported on X that the Beterbiev-Bivol rematch, which has been openly discussed by Saudi fight financier Turki Alalshikh since Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) beat Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs) by unanimous decision October 12 at Kingdom Arena, and Dubois-Parker bouts will be part of the February 22 pay-per-view event.
As Boxing News’ Steve Wellings wrote earlier Tuesday, British middleweight Hamzah Sheeraz will challenge WBC middleweight champ Carlos Adames on the Beterbiev-Bivol undercard (https://boxingnewsonline.net/hamzah-sheeraz-closing-in-on-world-title-opportunity/). Ilford’s Sheeraz (21-0, 17 KOs) is the WBC’s number one-ranked contender for the 160-pound crown owned by the Dominican Republic’s Adames (24-1, 18 KOs).
One of the most intriguing boxing matches that can be made, a junior middleweight showdown between IBF welterweight champ Jaron “Boots” Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs, 1 NC) and WBC interim super welterweight titleholder Vergil Ortiz Jr. (22-0, 21 KOs), also could be added to the February 22 show. Eddie Hearn, whose Matchroom Boxing promotes Ennis, told Boxing News’ Andi Purewal on Tuesday that talks are “progressing” for Philadelphia’s Ennis to oppose Ortiz, of Grand Prairie, Texas.
Hearn added, though, that Ennis’ team is still considering 147-pound championship unification fights for his first appearance of 2025. A decision on Ennis’ next fight could be made by the end of this week, according to Hearn.
Parker, meanwhile, will attempt to extend his winning streak to six since he was knocked out in the 11th round by then-unbeaten Joe Joyce in September 2022 at AO Arena in Manchester, England. Parker (35-3, 23 KOs) upset Zhang (27-2-1, 22 KOs) by majority decision and former WBC champ Deontay Wilder (43-4-1, 42 KOs) by unanimous decision in his past two fights, a pair of 12-rounders.
The former WBO champ became an option for Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs) once British superstar Anthony Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) removed himself as a probable foe for Dubois’ next fight. Dubois knocked out Watford’s Joshua in the fifth round of their main event September 21 at a sold-out Wembley Stadium in London.
The 41-year-old Zhang, who lost the WBO interim title to Parker on March 8 at Kingdom Arena, will attempt to halt Kabayel’s momentum. Kabayel (25-0, 17 KOs) knocked out two undefeated contenders – Russia’s Arslanbek Makhmudov (19-2, 18 KOs) and Cuba’s Frank Sanchez (24-1, 17 KOs) – in his last two fights.
Kabayel is ranked second among the WBC’s heavyweight contenders, two spots atop the fourth-rated Zhang. Former WBC champ Tyson Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs), its number one contender, will face Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) in an immediate rematch December 21 at Kingdom Arena for Usyk’s IBO, WBA, WBC and WBO titles.