According to the latest media news, Croatia's heavyweight rookie Philip Helgović (14-0, 12KO) and the 2008 Olympic super heavyweight silver medalist Mainland Zhang Zhilei (23-0-1, 18KO) have not reached an agreement on free negotiations, and the two teams will conduct a public bidding at IBF headquarters in Springfield, New Jersey, USA on February 24.
IBF Global Chairman Pips said: "On February 7, 2022, IBF asked Helgovich and Zhang Zhilei to negotiate the IBF Heavyweight Champion Qualifying Tournament to compete for the no. 1 position, and now the two sides have not reached an agreement, and promoter Chris Meyer has proposed an open bid. ”
The 29-year-old Helgović is now 9th in the boxing magazine - heavyweight comprehensive ranking, he is 1 meter 98 tall, and in 2016 he also won the bronze medal in super heavyweight boxing at the Rio Olympics, but lost to the gold medalist at the time, Tony Yuka (11-0, 9KO). After entering the professional boxing world in 2017, Helgović went all the way through the barrier, soaring in the rankings, playing 49 rounds in 14 professional matches and twice defending the IBF heavyweight international boxing champion. The video below is Zhang Zhilei's November 2, 2021 round TKO American Craig Lewis (14-5-1, 8KO).
The 38-year-old Zhang Zhilei played 2 games last year, drawing Jerry Forrester, TKO Craig Lewis for 2 rounds, and now BOXREC - Heavyweight Overall Ranks 29th. Zhang Zhilei is also 1 meter 98 tall, but he is nearly 10 years older, and physical fitness is a problem. It's just that for Zhang Zhilei, who is nearly 40 years old, there is no time to wait any longer, and it is also right to bravely fight. Although Helgović is young and strong, he is not fast, and he is not experienced in the competition, not impeccable.