22 September 2023 , 09:57
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Joe Joyce has put all his chips on his rematch with Zhilei Zhang. Defeat could leave his career in the balance.
Joyce is 38 and has never fought for a fully-fledged world title. With all the confusion around the heavyweight scene, with the belts tied up and the holders otherwise engaged, he had a decision to make.
Personally, I would have left Zhang alone for now, and built back with lower key opponents. I can understand the impulse to try to wipe the slate clean and avenge his only defeat, but he faces the same difficulties he encountered last time.
Zhang is very accurate. He could not miss Joyce with the back-hand and chopped him up with the right hook. The referee gave Joyce every chance but the doctor stopped it. What’s going to be different this time?
Joyce is pedestrian. He uses his physical strength and his stamina. He has a great engine. That’s his motif. He just rolls over the top of them. Hence the juggernaut nickname.
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The problem is when he meets someone of the same size but quicker, and a southpaw to boot. Zhang is even older at 40 but well preserved.
He was an elite amateur back in China, winning Olympic silver at the Beijing games in 2008 plus world championship bronze. His only defeat in 27 fights as a pro came against Filip Hrgovic in August last year. And I am not the only one who thought he won. Hrgovic was twice close to quitting.
You don’t have to be a tremendous puncher when you weigh 270 pounds. You don’t need anything other than good timing. Turning over that kind of weight at speed would knock over a wall.
Joyce discovered that to his cost. Reports from the Joyce camp put his defeat down to being a stone lighter. But that’s not unusual. He was still same weight he was when he ground down Daniel Dubois.
In my view his weight had nothing to do with it. He was still 250 pounds plus. What would another stone do? It would make him less mobile and more hittable.
Weight was irrelevant. It is about styles and Zhang is all wrong for Joyce. The holy grail in boxing is speed. And Zhang has it.
As an orthodox fighter a southpaw who can punch fast is the worst possible opponent. Zhang is clever too. And for that reason I don’t see a different outcome. I hope I’m wrong but this could be a punt too far.
Follow Barry on Twitter at @ClonesCyclone @mcguigans_gym