Joseph Parker, the former WBO World Heavyweight Champion, says Zhilei Zhang hits harder than anyone else he's faced in the ring. Parker's opinion comes after fights with top heavyweights like Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua.
Parker lost his WBO title to Joshua in 2018. But he's bounced back recently with big wins over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang, both on points. These wins have put Parker on an incredible run in the heavyweight division.
In a recent interview with Through The Ropes, Parker named Zhang as the hardest hitter he's faced. He explained that Zhang dropped him twice and landed cleaner shots. When comparing Zhang to Wilder, Parker said:
"Wilder did hit hard but never really clean. I was lucky my hand was up to catch his punches."
Tony Bellew backed up Parker's assessment, saying:
"[Parker] actually told me Zhang's the hardest he's ever been hit in his life. He said Zhang hits so hard."
Bellew noted that this comparison includes other big punchers like Wilder, Joshua, and Dillian Whyte.
Parker's next fight might be against Daniel Dubois on February 22. Dubois is the current IBF World Champion. He knocked out Joshua in five rounds to keep his belt. Dubois got the full title after Oleksandr Usyk gave it up.
Zhang will fight on the same card against Agit Kabayel. If both Zhang and Parker win, Zhang wants a rematch with Parker. Their first fight was close, so a second one could be even more exciting.
