Zhilei Zhang focuses on IBF HW title eliminator

Zhilei Zhang faces Filip Hrgovic in a IBF heavyweight title eliminator on Usyk vs. Joshua 2 undercard.

After what seemed ages ago, we have finally reached fight week for the much-anticipated rematch between unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (19-0) and Anthony Joshua (24-2). The rematch takes place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and will be streamed worldwide as the WBA, WBO, IBF, and Ring Magazine titles will be on the line.

While the undercard has some interesting matchups, one that will certainly have a lot at stake is 39-year-old Zhilei Zhang (24-0-1) going up against Filip Hrgovic (14-0). Not only are there undefeated records on the line, but the fight is an IBF heavyweight title eliminator which means the winner gets a shot at whoever comes out victorious between Usyk and Joshua.

If this matchup sounds familiar, then it should, as they were supposed to meet back in May on the undercard of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs. Dmitry Bivol. The week of the fight, Hrgovic pulled out due to some personal things he had going on in his life. Given the situation, team Zhang scrambled to get a last-minute opponent, which they did, and the fight resulted in a first-round knockout victory. So, was Zhang surprised that he could score the knockout early in the fight? Zhang told FanSided, “The first-round knockout in May wasn’t surprising to me because I had a full camp and was preparing for everything. I knew the knockout was coming, but I just didn’t know which round.”

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2 takes place August 20 live on DAZN & Sky Sports

https://twitter.com/DAZNBoxing/status/1559117706816790529?s=20&t=pJphCQMo9ZmEkaztNxBciA

The rumors after the fight were that Zhang would get his fight with Hrgovic in the coming months, so after taking a week off, he went right back into the gym. Instead of holding his training camp in sunny Florida, Zhang decided to train in New Jersey, where he resides. Zhang said, “I had my training camp in New Jersey and felt like this training camp went way better than the last one. We kept two of the same sparring partners from the last camp.”

Activity is always important for a fighter, especially one that is a little older like Zhang. This will be the second fight in three months, and some would say that he holds the advantage over Hrgovic because of it. Zhang, being the humble person he is, was quick to dismiss that theory and lean more towards crediting his work ethic. Zhang told FanSided, “You can say being more active is an advantage, but I really worked my as% off in this training camp with my trainers. I feel like I’m in top shape.”

The fight is in Saudi Arabia, and it is no secret how hot the weather will be when they arrive. But Zhang has done his best to ensure he is ready for it, as being in New Jersey during the summer is no cool breeze. The temperature often reaches 100 degrees and feels even more miserable with the humidity. “I have never been there (Saudi Arabia), but I know it’s desert heat. We tried to mimic that in training camp by training in the hot weather with heaters on. That’s something I did to try to adjust to the heat over there. It is very rare to have this heating system on in the summer (Laughs),” said the undefeated heavyweight contender.

Zhang knows that there is a lot on the line, and it could very well mean headlining an event in a massive arena if he were to come out victorious. Zhang told FanSided, “I’m lining myself up to face the winner of Usyk vs. Joshua. It is why I have lived in this country by myself all of these years. That is what I’ve been fighting for all of my life.” And on that note, Zhang wanted to send a message to his fans that will be tuning in. “Thank you to all of the boxing fans for the motivation and support. You are the reason I keep training and fighting. Come August 20; I will deliver a beautiful fight.”