Joshua vs Ngannou has been announced as the headliner for Knockout Chaos on 08 March in Saudi Arabia. The Joshua vs Ngannou Knockout Chaos undercard includes a further world championship bout as well as Zhang vs Parker for the Interim world championship.
Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou
The heavyweight contest between AJ and Ngannou is the final boxing event of the Riyadh Season, with the winner due to meet the winner of Fury vs Usyk for the Undisputed title. There’s further ramifications for the heavyweight division as Zhang vs Parker will leave the winner with a mandatory spot for the Heavyweight title. The rest of the partially announced card features a further world title bout, and an all British matchup.
Knockout Chaos is the fourth boxing event in Saudi Arabia’s current Riyadh Season. The first was Battle of the Baddest featuring Tyson Fury’s victory over Francis Ngannou. Day of Reckoning followed in December with Joshua defeating Otto Wallin in the main event. Ring of Fire was the name given to the upcoming Fury vs Usyk show, and Knockout Chaos will be the final boxing event of the Riyadh Season before Ramadan.
We’ll take a look at the undercard below.
Zhilei Zhang vs Joseph Parker
This is the chief support bout with the winner holding an interim version of the Heavyweight title. Zhang currently holds the WBO mandatory position, and is due a bout vs current holder Oleksandr Usyk at a later date.
Chinese heavyweight Zhilei Zhang has a single contentious defeat to Fillip Hrgovic on his record, and spent 2023 defeating British Heavyweight Joe Joyce in two separate contests.
Zhang secured victory in the first when a doctor’s stoppage ended the bout, with Joyce sporting a heavily swollen eye. The second victory was far more clinical, a heavy second round KO and contender for KO of the year.
Joseph Parker is the former WBO Heavyweight champion, and he looked done and dusted when Joe Joyce knocked him out in 2022. The pair had a hard hitting contest but Parker’s chin eventually gave way, and it seemed he was on a downward spiral.
Parker returned in 2023 defeating blown-up Cruiserweight Jack Massey followed by a midweek trip to Australia to beat Faiga Opelu in a minute. Both contests were odd cases of matchmaking but Parker was able to navigate them.
Parker featured in Saudi Arabia for the first time on the undercard of Fury vs Ngannou. Parker knocked out Simon Kean inside three rounds and looked far from a spent force. He grabbed a spot in the chief support role for Day of Reckoning, entering as a wide underdog against Deontay Wilder.
Wilder vs Parker was intended to showcase Wilder, shake off some ring rust, and pave the way for Joshua vs Wilder. Instead, Parker mauled Wilder, outpunching, outlanding and outfighting him. Wilder has knocked out every opponent he has faced, aside from Tyson Fury, who was knocked down four times.
Parker dominated the contest, winning every round on one scorecard, and now has a chance to get back to the top of the division. Uniquely for boxing both are endearing characters, so it should be a great watch.
Rey Vargas vs Nick Ball
Two weight world champion Rey Vargas is defending his WBC Featherweight title against unbeaten Brit Nick Ball.
Vargas is coming off the first and only loss of his career. Vargas stepped up to Super Featherweight to challenge O’Shaquie Foster, but he was significantly outpointed and lost.
Vargas previous Featherweight title defence was problematic as well. He won a Split Decision vs Mark Magsayo, but was knocked down in the process.
Nick Ball is coming off his biggest career win against Isaac Dogboe at Magnificent Seven last year. The British fighter easily outpointed Dogboe in a World title eliminator on Queensberry promotions biggest domestic show of the year.
The Queensberry boxer has held the WBC Silver Featherweight title since defeating Isaac Lowe in 2022, and successfully defended it on four occasions. That includes the crushing defeat of Ludumo Lamati via TKO in round 12 that saw the fighter collapse and require urgent medical attention.
Ball is entering his first world title bout, but Vargas is a veteran having already been in 8. A battle of experience vs youth.
Mark Chamberlain vs Gavin Gwynne
Unbeaten European champion 14-0 Mark Chamberlain is pitted against fellow European champion Gavin Gwynne. Both have been fixtures of Queensberry promotions shows at York Hall, and both make their first trips to compete abroad.
Gwynne last competed when he picked up the EBU European title when he defeated unbeaten 48 year old Emiliano Marsili. Gwynne looked in danger during the fight, but Marili was forced to retire with a shoulder injury. Gwynne is a former British champion with two losses on his record, one to current IBF world champion Joe Cordina.
Mark Chamberlain last fought when he defeated Latvian Artjoms Ramlavs via TKO at York Hall. Chamberlain has held the IBF European title since July 2022, successfully defending the belt three times.
🥊Undercard🥊
Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou
Zhilei Zhang vs Joseph Parker
WBO World Interim Heavyweight title
Rey Vargas vs Nick Ball
WBC World Featherweight title
Israil Madrimov vs Magomed Kurbanov
WBA World Super Welterweight title
Mark Chamberlain vs Gavin Gwynne
Justis Huni vs Kevin Lerena
Andrii Novytskyi vs Juan Torres
Roman Fury vs Martin Svarc
Ziyad Almaayouf vs Christian Lopez Flores
Jack McGann vs Louis Greene
You can read more on the main event and details of how to watch Knockout Chaos below.
You can keep up to date with the latest cards by following our boxing calendar via the link below. You can also follow across social media for the latest boxing news.