Deontay Wilder’s Manager Believes Zhilei Zhang Fight Rivals Joshua-Ngannou

Shelly Finkel the co-manager for Deontay Wilder believes a fight with Zhilei Zhang is one of the biggest fights in boxing.

Wilder is coming off a loss to Joseph Parker in a fight he was dominated in, and has been rumored to return on the Joshua-Ngannou undercard against Zhang. It would be a big fight and Finkel is hoping to make it happen.

“We would love that. If there was an opportunity, we’d be glad to consider it. We’d love to go back there and love to be on that card if it’s possible. If that opportunity presents itself, he’ll be ready,” Finkel said to The Sun. “You can’t tell in advance, but I’d assume that Joshua would beat Ngannou, then hopefully we see the Deontay of old and he wins.

“Then of course, if those two were to happen it would still be natural for Deontay and Joshua to meet,” Finkel continued about Wilder. “Go back two fights, people were saying Daniel Dubois was a quitter. He sure didn’t quit against Jarrell Miller and redeemed himself. Three fights ago, people said things about Joshua, he looked very good in his fight with Wallin and that redeemed himself in the same way. So in a similar situation, Deontay has a good opponent in the next fight and he looks the way we know him to look, hopefully we have him right back there with Joshua.” 

If Deontay Wilder does get booked to face Zhilei Zhang on the undercard of Joshua-Ngannou, Finkel thinks that may be the biggest fight of the night.

“Look, we would love Parker but that hasn’t been discussed. But in either case, if Zhang was presented, that would be a big fight,” Finkel said. “If that was on the same card as the fight with Joshua and Ngannou, I think Deontay and Zhang would rival that. It would be a phenomenal show for the public again. I think the job that they did putting on all the heavyweights together on that card was wonderful.” 

Do you think we see Deontay Wilder vs. Zhilei Zhang?