Frank Warren Names The ‘Big Puncher’ For Daniel Dubois- Zhilei Zhang

Daniel Dubois (22-3, 21 KOs) has been away from the ring for a considerable amount of time, having last fought for the undisputed heavyweight title against Oleksandr Usyk in July, albeit unsuccessfully. With an imminent comeback in the books, promoter Frank Warren has just the right opponent for Dubois, the Chinese powerhouse, Zhilei Zhang (27-3-1, 22 KOs).

Talking to Dev Sahni, Warren opened up about why Zhang is the perfect opponent that he has in mind for Dubois.

“I want to make a fight with him and ‘Big Bang’ [Zhang],” he said. “I think it’s a great fight, I’d really like to see that fight, we’ll see.”

Back in October, a potential comeback fight was almost ready for Dubois, after the IBF confirmed a second heavyweight contender, as he consented to an eliminator match against Frank Sanchez. This, in turn, was set to pave the way for the victor to face Usyk. While purse bids were scheduled for November, Queensberry Promotions later gave an update that Dubois had changed his mind and pulled out of the negotiations.

Meanwhile, Zhang has also been away from the ring for close to a year. He faced Agit Kabayel in February, on the undercard of the Dmitry Bivol vs Artur Beterbiev rematch. However, Zhang lost the fight via a 6th-round KO.

Even though it has been a while since the duo stepped into the ring, Warren still believes that it is a fight that fans want to see.

“It’s a fantastic fight, two big punchers. That is what you want, two big guys throwing bombs,” he said. “That is what people want, exciting fights.”

“I Lost Control”

Zhang, on the other hand, is still nursing the brunt of his loss to Kabayel. In an interview with Boxing News, he shared a heartfelt reflection on his loss and what he took away from the fight.

“Kabayel is a very talented and outstanding young fighter. In that fight, I controlled the action early. From the third round on, Kabayel increased his punch output, and my adjustments were not made quickly enough,” he said. “I lost control, and my rhythm was disrupted. Even so, I still knocked him down in the fifth round. Although I lost the fight, I remain very confident in myself and in my abilities.”

Joshua Ben Joseph

Joshua Ben Joseph is a Boxing writer renowned for his unparalleled coverage of live events and insightful interviews with prominent athletes in the world of combat sports. With a career spanning over several years, he has authored more than 800 articles. As an experienced editorial cartoonist and investigative journalist, Joshua has a keen eye for detail and a passion for delivering quality content. Aside from his writing, Joshua is an avid powerlifter and solo traveler, embodying the same spirit of determination and exploration that he brings to his work. With a deep love for the sport of boxing that dates back to childhood, he is committed to delivering the highest quality content and helping to build a more transparent and credible industry.

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