We all know the Asian boxing scene is packed with talented fighters, yet once we focus beyond the middleweight division where Ryota Murata of Japan is reigning WBA champions, the number of genuine title challenges begins to reduce significantly. Nevertheless, there are two Chinese fighters aiming to prove themselves amongst the biggest guys in the ring, seeking out opportunities to edge themselves closer to title shots.
Right now, Olexsandr Usyk and Tyson Fury are the dominant names in the heavyweight scene, enthralling fans around the globe at the prospect of a unification bout, which could come before the end of 2022. The popularity of boxing has arguably never been greater, amongst the best betting sites reviewed by SBO, who focus on which bookies offer the most competitive odds and broadest range of markets. Throughout the entire history of professional boxing, only two Asian fighters have ever claimed a world title in the top two divisions. They are Vassiliy Jirov, who held the IBF Cruiserweight title from 1999 to 2003, and Beibut Shumenov who held the WBA (Super) and IBA light-heavyweight titles until April 2014, losing both belts to Bernard Hopkins. Nevertheless, there are two Chinese fighters with genuine ambitions of changing all that, aiming to make their mark in the heavyweight and light-heavyweight divisions this year. ‘Big Bang’ Zhang Zhilei
Considering the fact Zhang Zhilei remains unbeaten throughout his professional career, the Chinese heavyweight still hasn’t managed to get the title shot he seeks. Boasting an impressive record of 23 wins and one draw, including 18 KO victories, the 38-year-old from Zhoukou in Henan province made his professional debut in August 2014. Since then, every rival has fallen by the wayside until Jerry Forrest in February 2021, which ended in a majority draw.
After beating Craig Lewis in November 2021, needing just two rounds to end that fight against the American boxer, the South China Morning Post suggested that ‘Big Bang’ Zhang has one particular “dream” bout in mind. He apparently hopes to fight stablemate Anthony Joshua, despite the Briton having lost his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles last year, following the surprise defeat against Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine.
Zhang Zhilei apparently wants the chance to face Joshua on home soil in China, if promoters can agree a suitable enough deal, while victory would also strengthen his credentials for a future title shot. At the time of writing, Zhang is currently ranked 8th in the WBO list, although another option being considered is Filip Hrgovic of Croatia, who is 3rd in the IBF rankings. The potential reward would be the chance to become the mandatory IBF challenger.
Currently 13th in the IBF rankings list, the Chinese southpaw really needs to get himself higher in the rankings of all four main boxing organisations, in order to get the heavyweight title shot he craves. The clock is ticking as he gets older and ideally, he would hope to have had at least one title shot before reaching the age of 40. Importantly, the boxing organisations are aware of his marketability, with China remaining largely untapped for hosting top boxing events. ‘Cold Blood’ Fanlong Meng
33-year-old Fanlong Meng has fully earned his ‘Cold Blood’ nickname, given the southpaw from Chifeng has ruthlessly defeated everyone who stood in his path. To date he boasts an impeccable record of 17 wins, with zero defeats or draws to blemish his credentials as a potential future world champion, since turning professional in January 2015.
The pathway to success has been marked by beating quality opponents, achieving notable landmarks in his quest for the biggest prizes in the light-heavyweight division. Meng Fanlong earned his first title in January 2017, beating Gasan Gasanov of to claim the vacant WBO Oriental light-heavyweight title, needing just a single round to demolish his Russian opponent.
In October of 2017, he also took the vacant IBF Inter-Continental light-heavyweight title, needing 10 rounds to eventually beat Emmanuel Danso of Ghana in Macau. Having defended that particular title twice against strong opponents, Fanlong Meng is now number one challenger in the IBF world rankings, whilst also in 8th position of the WBO world rankings. This would suggest the possibility of a title fight sometime in 2022 or early 2023.
According to ESPN boxing reports early in January 2022, the next fight for Fanlong Meng will actually be in the cruiserweight division, amidst negotiations for a bout against Russian veteran Sergey Kovalev in March 2022. This could be the precursor for an eagerly anticipated title shot against another Russian, given that in 2020, the planned title shot against WBC and IBF light-heavyweight champions Artur Beterbiev was cancelled. Chinese Champions?
Few can doubt the credentials of these two superb fighters, although their pathway to title shots has hardly been orthodox. Meng Fanlong certainly ranks highly enough that already, he should be regarded as the mandatory IBF world championship challenger. Meanwhile, the chances of a title bout in 2022 for Zhilei Zhang look slender, although he could push towards becoming mandatory challenger for the WBO belt.
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