“LET ME HELP YOU” – Zhilei Zhang ready to fight Jake Paul after Mike Tyson clash

Zhilei Zhang isn’t opposed to the idea of sharing the ring with Jake Paul. The Chinese superstar is the No.4 ranked heavyweight in the world by Ring Magazine, but would consider a step down in competition to take a money fight with Paul.

“I would try it why not, if the opportunity presents itself then I will,” he told Razed when asked if he would box Paul.

“I look at Jake Paul from this perspective: I believe that he came out of the influencer background as a boxer, but since he started boxing, he has become dedicated and trains with all the blood, sweat and tears, he’s been through it (with the transition).

“He’s on the promotional side as well so I think Jake Paul is attracting a lot of people to the sport which is not bad at all.”

The YouTube star has compiled a 10-1 professional boxing record since transitioning to the sport in 2018. Most of those victories have come against ageing MMA fighters, yet Paul insists that his main aim in the sport is to become a world champion.

WBA president Gilberto Mendoza recently declared that he is open to the idea of sanctioning a title fight between Paul and former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. But Zhang insists ‘The Problem Child’ still has a way to go before he establishes himself as a domestic-level fighter, let alone world world-level operator.

“He needs more fights to prove himself if he wants to be at a national (domestic) level and I believe that he is on the way there,” Zhang added.

“But he definitely needs more fights, and they need to be credible opponents to prove he is at that level.”

Zhang found himself just one fight away from a world title fight when he defeated Joe Joyce in April 2023 to claim the WBO ‘interim’ strap. The victory made Zhang Oleksandr Usyk’s mandatory.

Five months later, ‘Big Bang’ knocked out Joyce in their rematch, but then lost the belt to Joseph Parker in March. Zhang however got back to winning ways with another brutal stoppage victory over Deontay Wilder last month.

Though, at 41-years-old he will have to get a move in if he hopes to win heavyweight gold. A fight against ‘The Problem Child’ would therefore be ill-advised. Paul has mostly competed at cruiserweight throughout his career, but is bulking up to heavyweight to face Mike Tyson in his next outing on November 15.

The fight has been bashed by several members of the boxing fraternity, who are concerned about Tyson’s health as he gears up to face a man 31 years his junior. They were initially scheduled to meet on July 20, but the fight was pushed back four months after Tyson was deemed medically unfit to compete this summer due to an ulcer flare-up.