"I was sort of cornered" - Joseph Parker reveals rematch clause for Zhilei Zhang bout

Fans might get to see Zhilei Zhang vs. Joseph Parker not once but twice.

On March 8 in Saudi Arabia, fans will get to see the two heavyweights clash. They're currently slated to be the co-main event of Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou. However, this bout is easily good enough to headline its own fight card.

For 'Big Bang', the bout will be the second defense of his WBO interim heavyweight title. The Chinese boxer captured the title with a stoppage win over Joe Joyce last April and followed it up with another knockout victory over 'Juggernaut' later in the year.

Meanwhile, Parker is coming off a dominant win over Deontay Wilder in December. That upset victory over 'The Bronze Bomber' was enough for him to get this title opportunity. However, Parker will have to beat Zhang not once but twice to move on.

The Australian heavyweight revealed the news in a recent interview with TalkSport. In the interview, Parker stated that he hopes to defeat Zhang twice and then move on to fight for the undisputed title. He said (via Boxing Social):

“So, I’ll have to beat him twice in order to move on and fight for the heavyweight championship of the world. It was ‘take the fight with the rematch clause, or otherwise we will give it to someone else’, so I was sort of cornered, but I am happy that I took the fight and I am looking forward to it.”

Check out his comments in the video below (4:30):

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Will Joseph Parker defeat Zhilei Zhang? Current betting odds

As of now, Zhilei Zhang is a slight favorite to defeat Joseph Parker next month.

As previously stated, this heavyweight bout could easily be headlining its own event. While fights such as Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk are excellent, don't overlook Zhang vs. Parker.

As of now, the betting odds reflect the competitiveness of the WBO title bout. According to the current odds from MGM, Zhang is currently a -225 favorite. Meanwhile, Parker returns as a slight +170 underdog.

Then again, the odds don't really mean a whole lot when the Australian is fighting. Look no further than his fight with Deontay Wilder in December. Parker entered the bout as a massive underdog but instead battered 'The Bronze Bomber' to win by unanimous decision.