Tyson Fury has started talks over a WBC heavyweight title fight against Zhilei Zhang.
Negotiations between WBC champion Fury and WBA, IBF and WBO belt holder Oleksandr Usyk broke down last month and the British heavyweight star has switched his attention to a title defence against Zhang.
A shock stoppage of Joe Joyce boosted Zhang’s reputation last month and now the towering Chinese fighter could be the next challenger for Fury.
Joyce’s unbeaten record was ended by Zhang in the sixth round at the Copper Box Arena in London as the 40-year-old produced a clinical performance to dent his fellow Olympian’s world title ambitions.
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“I like to challenge the strongest,” Zhang said in a recent interview.
“As I said before the fight, only by defeating the strongest can one become stronger. And now, people probably think that I am not strong enough, because there are real boxing champions above me, like Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
“Although Joshua is not a champion now, he has mastered the sport and has ruled for many years,” Zhang said in a recent interview.
“They’re all strong fighters. So I want to challenge any of them. In this way, I can gradually become stronger. I will show everyone, show to the world, to all boxing fans, Chinese power.”
Talks over a potential meeting between Zhang and Fury come amid continued speculation over a blockbuster December show that would see the WBC champion face Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship on the same night as a clash between Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder.
Usyk has meanwhile been ordered to fight WBA mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois.
And Joyce, too, remains keen to thrust himself back into the fold, recently outlining his interest in a rematch against Zhang in a bid to revive his pursuit of a title opportunity.
“It would be good to avenge that, a few more rounds and no black eye and I think I would have still been in the fight and I thought I would start to get to him in the later rounds,” Joyce told Sky Sports in April.
“But respect to him, he’s a great opponent and obviously did the business, it was a tough fight.”