Joseph Parker has thrown his name in the mix to stake his claim to the world championship. With the WBO interim heavyweight strap on the line, he emerged victorious before Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou closed the evening. Only a victory separated him from inserting him into the world title aspirations. The New Zealander is now set on a glorious path with the needful win in his bag.

Both contenders entered the fight on a hot winning streak. The interim title ensured the winner had a clear route to the title shot, as heavyweight belts are expected to be with different holders, following Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury‘s unification fight. Parker tightened his grip on the WBO title as he slayed Zhilei Zhang and bagged a majority decision win.

What happened in the fight between Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker?

Both fighters adopted a cautious approach, but Zhang’s left hand always seemed in a position to land a devastating blow. Parker’s right blow brought the same threat to the table and appeared to be more active in the initial two rounds. Despite his size advantage, Zhang failed to test Parker’s chin, except in the third round, where he knocked Parker down with a jab. Without putting much power behind those punches, he pushed Parker to the corner. Meanwhile, Parker’s plan was simple: he would drop one blow and then remove himself from the range.

Zhang’s aggression failed to pick up the pace, and there was almost no urgency to put forward pressure. Zhang’s jabs worked wonders and did substantial damage, but apart from that, he didn’t do enough. The Chinese boxer appeared to set Parker up with a knockout as his punches found Parker’s flesh. The vicious blows came just after the bell of the eighth round, as Zhang threatened to end Parker and made him take a knee. However, the activity suffered a lot during the middle rounds.

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The more troubling was Zhang’s depleting stamina, which tilted the fight towards the final rounds. Apart from the two knockdowns, there was little exciting action from Zhang, which ultimately proved costly for him. His stamina proved to be a stumbling block on his way to becoming a champion. While Zhang had two big moments, Parker toiled hard throughout the bout and thus dislodged Zhang as the interim champion.

What do you make of this exciting fight between Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker at Francis Ngannou vs. Anthony Joshua? Let us know in the comments below.