BIGGEST WINNER
Zhang Zhilei
The formula is simple: If you take down a hot boxer, you usually replace him as the man to follow. It was the luck of Zhang, who used a deadly straight left to beat previously undefeated top contender Joe Joyce with a knockout round six Saturday night in London. The 6-foot-6 male tennis player from China can’t miss left if he tries. He repeatedly knocked out his powerful opponent and quickly closed his right eye with a formidable blow, prompting the officials to stop the fight. Just like that, Zhang (25-1-1, 20 KOs) recovered from a controversial loss to Filip Hrgovich last August and won the breakout win that has eluded him since he became a pro in 2014, which is why he was so elated after that. He unexpectedly became a leading contender to take on one of the heavyweight title holders, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk. It would be an attractive option for the champions, who have seen Joyce as an opponent after face-to-face talks broke down. Can Zhang beat one of them? Well, we don’t think he’s going to take Joyce down. The 2008 Olympic silver medalist is likely, including the left hand from hell. He’s physically fit, 6 feet 6 and 278 pounds for Saturday’s game. And he couldn’t be more confident. It is not difficult to imagine that the next heavyweight champion will be from China.
THE BIGGEST FAILERS
Joe Joyce
“It’s disappointing, I was expecting to win like I usually do”
“I will come back”
Joe Joyce ponders a difficult defeat…💭#FightNight | #JoyceZhang | BT Sport 1 pic.twitter.com/jNVxPOzeMU
— Boxing on BT Sport 🥊 (@BTSportBoxing) April 15, 2023
Joyce (15-1, 14 KOs) is a capable fighter but he succeeds mainly because of his physique, unusual strength, heavy arms, and sturdy chin. Where did he fall short on Saturday? He didn’t have the instincts nor the speed and reflexes to avoid Zhang’s left hand, the weaker landed at will. As a result, Joyce suffered her first defeat and seemed to reveal her limitations. To be fair, he competed from Round 3 to Round 5. He is said to have performed better than Zhang during that period. And he was still firing back by the time the fighting stopped. However, that didn’t matter for Zhang’s left hand, which was destined to end the fight one way or another. Joyce confusedly admitted that he couldn’t escape Zhang’s signature punch and seemed to blame the winner’s dominant stance. That raises some questions. Isn’t that exactly what Joyce did in his training camp with esteemed coach Ismael Salas? Was Zhang’s left just faster and better than he expected? Was Joyce not good enough to deal with such a formidable weapon? Or, as some have suggested, did Joyce commit the grave sin of taking victory for granted? The 37-year-old London player still has a lot of work to do if he hopes to return to the title race. I wouldn’t be surprised if it didn’t happen.
BIGGEST OPPORTUNITY
Rage and Usyk
Joyce could fulfill the rematch clause in the contract he and Zhang signed, but that seems unlikely. The loser then suggests that it would be smarter to hit him temporarily before facing the conqueror a second time, which would give him a chance to correct his shortcomings. That seems to open the door for Zhang to pursue a title. And he clearly has a preference between the two titleholders: “Tyson Fury in China,” he said after Saturday’s win. That prospect would probably appeal to Fury, who doesn’t have many good options beyond Usyk. Only the match against Anthony Joshua makes for a bigger event than Zhang after what we witnessed on Saturday. And Zhang started the trash talk. He implied that Joyce stood firm by the end of the match because of his unusually strong chin, an attribute he believes Fury lacks. “Tyson Fury doesn’t have that chin. He will come down,” Zhang said. Of course, he overlooked the fact that Fury is one of the most skillful heavyweights of his generation, which could make Zhang’s life miserable if they ever meet in the ring. . That doesn’t matter now, though. Zhang won the chance to fight for a title. He and his handlers will go to great lengths to make that happen.
TRIAL DOLL
The fact that Zhang-Joyce scored caused an uproar among some. I gave Zhang a 48-47 lead after five rounds, three innings with two left. The two judges are said to have the same score while the third judge has Joyce leading 48-47. I understand the outrage over the injury caused by Zhang’s left hand but I don’t think the third referee’s score deserves investigation, as some have suggested. Joyce ate fruit after fruit, but again, he was the busier fighter for most of the fight. Of course, Zhang, who believes he has been tricked by Hrgovich, has assured that the jury will not decide the winner this time. … Usyk might be the last man Joyce should fight. The Ukrainian is also a southbound and faster and better than Zhang. How many lefties do you think Usyk will take down Joyce? … Mikaela Mayer (18-1.5 KO) looks comfortable at launch at 135 pounds, easy indicates late substitution Wild Lucy (10-2, 4 KO) on Zhang-Joyce card. She controls the action both from the outside and inside, where she has the upper hand in almost any exchange. The 32-year-old American, former 130-pound owner, is now aiming for the undisputed 135-pound champion Katie Taylor. How will she fare in that fight? Mayer can be too easy to hit. She has a good attacking game. I will focus on her head movement and general defense in the camp leading up to the meeting with Taylor.
