Joe Joyce Believes He Can Overcome Zhilei Zhang In Their Rematch
On April 15, Joe “The Juggernaut” Joyce (15-1, 14 KOs), ranked #6 (WBO) and #10 (WBC), was upset by Zhilei “Big Bang” Zhang (27-1-1, 20 KOs), who stopped him in six rounds. The loss was completely shocking considering that Joyce had just come off the biggest win of his career against former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker, whom he stopped in eleven rounds.
Joyce, who’s known for his non-stop pressure, granite chin, punch output, and effective power, was completely offset by Big Bang. For everything Joyce does well, the biggest knock on him is his defense. Joyce is very robotic in his movement and has the bad habit of keeping his head on the center line. Zhang easily found a home for his punishing straight left hand and right hook. This would result in Joyce constantly getting tagged by Zhang, which led to his right eye being severely swollen!
READY FOR THE REMATCH!
The Juggernaut is confident he has what it takes to beat Zhang, and he told iFL TV the following:
“It’s a hard lesson, a hard pill to swallow, but . . . he’s a good fighter. He’s accurate, he’s fast, very fast, and he’s experienced. He just kept on nailing me in the eye, and that started to close up. So my vision wasn’t affected, but I still think I was in there a little bit, but I think I can do loads better next time. The next fight is going to be way bigger. We both know exactly what we’re dealing with, so it’s about both of our teams bringing out the best in both of us. But I believe I’ve got what it takes to beat him.”
For Joyce to win the rematch, he’s going to have to be better, defensively. While he didn’t get knocked down by Zhang, the power the interim WBO champ possesses was clear as he rocked Joyce on a number of occasions. If The Juggernaut loses the rematch, his career will undoubtedly be at a crossroads.
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