Zhilei Zhang Knocks Out Joe Joyce in 3rd Round at Joyce vs Zhang 2 Showdown
Zhilei Zhang triumphed over Joe Joyce in Joyce vs Zhang rematch on Saturday night with a powerful knockout. The Chinese boxer, who fights southpaw, delivered a well-executed right hook to Joyce in the third round of the WBO interim heavyweight championship rematch at OVO Arena Wembley in London. Although Joyce managed to get up, the referee, Steve Gray, decided it was unsafe for him to continue, concluding the 12-round bout early in the third round. Zhang, 40 years old with a record of 26-1-1 and 21 KOs, kept his WBO interim title, having previously knocked down Joyce for the first time in his pro career. The defeat in Joyce vs Zhang was a significant blow to the 38-year-old Joyce's career, who held a record of 15-2 and 14 KOs, and had initiated the immediate rematch clause in their contract. Zhang expressed his happiness and respect for Joyce post-fight, asking the audience to cheer for him. Joyce came in heavier than their first bout, weighing 281.2 pounds, hoping to withstand Zhang’s power, but this made him slower and more susceptible to Zhang’s hits. Zhang’s victory reinforces his status as a top heavyweight and secures his position as the mandatory challenger for one of Oleksandr Usyk’s titles. In their first Joyce vs Zhang match, Zhang surprised everyone by winning through a technical knockout in the sixth round. Joyce was a 9-1 favorite and was leading on the scorecard of one judge. Despite the defeat, Joyce believed he could have continued the first Joyce vs Zhang fight. During the Joyce vs Zhang rematch, Zhang continually landed powerful hits on Joyce, dominating most of the rounds and leaving Joyce off balance multiple times, while Joyce remained defensive, especially protecting his right eye, and refrained from opening up to throw punches at Zhang in the initial round.
