Joe Joyce brutally knocked out by Zhilei Zhang to end heavyweight title hopes

23 September 2023 , 22:13

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Joe Joyce lies down in the florr after Zhilei Zhang KO as the referee makes the count

Joe Joyce's bid to avenge his defeat to Zhilei Zhang was crushed inside three rounds of their rematch as he was brutally KO'd in their WBO interim heavyweight title fight.

Five months on from being stopped in the sixth round of their first fight, history repeated itself as Joyce was brutally put down with a chaotic right hand. Former world boxing champion Richie Woodhall, speaking on TNT Sports, said: "It was an absolute peach of a punch. The technique was perfect and set up by the jab."

Zhang had dominated the bout before brutally knocking out the Englishman in the third round. He worked Joyce with his left to lower his opponent's defences, before landing an brutal right hook to his undefended jaw.

Joyce was seen immediately leaving the arena after being floored having taken oxygen after getting to his feet, as his opponent soaked up the crowd's admiration. The Chinese boxer retained the WBO interim title and his mandatory challenger status to Oleksandr Usyk with the win.

Joe Joyce's heavyweight career could be over

Zhang was delighted after his stunning win, insisting that he came to entertain. The boxer also paid tribute to all those watching on from home and in his homeland of China, before issuing a challenge to Tyson Fury.

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"I'm happy. Like I said before the fight, it's going to end sooner than the first one. Joe, I like him, I respect him and I will let everyone witness Chinese power again," he told TNT Sports.

"This is what we're here for, we're professional fighters. We came to entertain the crowd and we did it. I hope everyone enjoyed my performance. Thank you to everyone who came here today and witnessed my greatness in front of Chinese social media.

"I want to ask the audience a question. Do you want to see me shut Tyson Fury up?"

Meanwhile, top promoter Frank Warren admitted it was a "very disappointing result". But he insisted that Joyce had not backed down and went toe-to-toe with his opponent.

"It's very disappointing. First couple of rounds he [Joyce] got it right and he was moving left. Then he went toe-to-toe and got caught. If he continued to do what he was doing past five or six rounds then it would have been interesting," Warren told TNT Sports.

"He got caught with a really good shot. Zhang is in a position as the WBO interim champion now, he's the mandatory for that title. Next year he'll probably fight whoever holds that belt."

On the undercard, Ilford boxer Anthony Yarde stopped Portugal’s Jorge Silva in the second round to make an impressive return in his first fight since defeat by unified light-heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev.

Dubliner Pierce O’Leary retained the WBC international super-lightweight title with a unanimous decision over Manchester’s Kane Gardner. Heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma, 18, produced a blistering first-round knock-out of Amine Boucetta for his fifth straight professional win.

Jacob Leeks