Zhilei Zhang has once again launched himself into the heavyweight mix with an emphatic stoppage win over Deontay Wilder.
The fight was seen as make or break for both men and it was the heavy hitting puncher from China that kept his title dreams alive.
Another contender who is desperate to break into the top echelons of the division is 31-year-old Martin Bakole. The Congolese heavyweight is currently ranked as number 1 with the WBA and is coming off a dominant performance against Carlos Takam.
In an interview with iFL TV, Bakole says he’s willing to face ‘Big Bang’ in his own country and has no doubt he would ‘smash’ the 41-year-old.
“Zhang did well. It’s very difficult for people to beat a southpaw but it’s much easier for me because I learned boxing from my brother who’s a southpaw.
He’s a tough guy, he’s got a left hand like mine, strong, but you need to know how to use it. He did well, he was focused but Deontay was too small and was running away and he made it easy for ‘Big Zhang’.
That would be a good fight for me. I’ll fight him in China. It would be fireworks, I’m looking forward to it so I hope he says yes, he’s looking for an opponent. I’m ready, in China, in the UK, in America, I’m ready.
After fighting me I think he will retire because he is a big man and too old. He’s never fought someone like me, I will stand in the middle of the ring and push him back. I’ll smash him. Seriously, I’ll smash him. I’m not scared of anybody, I’ll Bang the Big Bang.”
Before any possible Zhang talks, Bakole must get through what many are predicting will be the toughest night of his career so far when he takes on unbeaten American knockout artist Jared Anderson on the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card on Aug 3 in Los Angeles.
