...By Solomon Thomas for TDPel Media.
Joe Joyce suffered a shock TKO defeat to Zhilei Zhang in a match held at the Copper Box Arena in London.
Referee Howard Foster stopped the fight in the sixth round due to Joyce’s swollen eye caused by Zhang’s left hands.
It was the first loss for Joyce in his 16-fight professional career, leading to him surrendering the WBO interim heavyweight title.
Despite the loss, Joyce magnanimously accepted his opponent’s victory and expressed interest in fighting him again.
Joyce’s Struggles Against Zhang’s Southpaw Style and Left Hand Counters
During the post-match interview, Joyce conceded that he couldn’t get away from Zhang’s left hand, leading to his defeat.
He praised Zhang’s strength, quickness, and experience, giving credit to him and his team for getting the win.
Joyce struggled throughout the match to contend with Zhang’s southpaw style and left-hand counters, leading to several clean shots to his eye.
As a result, once the eye shut, Joyce’s vision was significantly impaired.
Risk Taken by Joyce by Agreing to Fight Zhang
Joyce had taken a risk by agreeing to fight Zhang, a fellow Olympic silver medalist, leading to a significant dent in his hopes of securing a world title fight.
Joyce had won 14 of his previous 15 professional fights via knockout.
In contrast, Zhang finished runner-up in the Super Heavyweight event in Beijing eight years earlier.
Commentary
Joe Joyce’s TKO defeat to Zhilei Zhang has significant implications for his professional boxing career. Despite his magnanimous acceptance of Zhang’s victory, it is clear that Joyce struggled against Zhang’s left-hand counters and southpaw style.
This defeat comes as a significant blow to Joyce, who was hoping to secure a world title fight.
However, he has expressed interest in a rematch with Zhang, suggesting that he is not ready to give up on his professional career just yet.
It remains to be seen whether Joyce can learn from his mistakes and come back stronger in a potential rematch with Zhang.
