British-Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua has been accused of avoiding a professional rematch with Chinese heavyweight Zhilei Zhang, whom he defeated at the London 2012 Olympics.

Zhang’s manager, Terry Lane, told Sky Sports that Joshua has repeatedly declined opportunities to face Zhang in the professional ring.

“I think it’s the worst-kept secret in boxing that AJ wants no part of Zhilei. There have been chances for them to fight, but it’s clear Joshua isn’t interested. He just wants to avoid the fight, which is unfortunate,” Lane stated.

While Joshua may be holding out for a potential showdown with Tyson Fury—who announced his retirement in early January—Zhang is set to face Agit Kabayel on February 22 for the interim WBC world title.

Once regarded as having one of the strongest résumés in heavyweight boxing, Joshua is now facing criticism for allegedly dodging a fellow top contender.

After securing Olympic gold in 2012, Joshua quickly climbed the professional ranks, securing major victories over Dillian Whyte, Charles Martin, and Wladimir Klitschko to unify heavyweight titles. However, his career took a hit after losses to Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019 and back-to-back defeats against Oleksandr Usyk. Despite recent wins, a knockout loss to Daniel Dubois last September has left Joshua without a title and limited options for the future.