"It looked like JOE JOYCE had never been in with a southpaw in his life"

[CJG]

Richie Woodhall on the disastrous night for Joe Joyce this past Saturday . Talks a lot of sense with no BS does Richie

[jameswilson]

Joyce boxed Zhang like he boxed Takam, Hammer and Parker before. Relying on his chin and work rate to come through what they threw and hope to overwhelm them. People are saying Zhang couldn’t miss with left hand. Watch the Takam, Hammer and Parker fight in the first 3 rounds and ask if any of those guys could miss with their big right hand? Against those guys it worked, I commented in the Parker fight that it’s unbelievable that Joyce’s face never seems to cut or swell up.

Obviously against Zhang he took a huge (or sereral huge) shot that stunned him and possibly cracked his cheek bone in the first. His eye immediately swelled up, his nose immediately started bleeding a lot and all the things he was lucky didn’t happen against those guys had now happened early.

On top of that Zhang was so big and was able to keep throwing hard shots at a pace that was just enough to stay on top.

I think Zhang is to Joyce, what Thompson was to David Price. I wouldn’t get back in with him ever again, I’d chalk Zhang up as that guy who just has Joyce’s number and hope the next time Joyce meets him is after they’ve retired and they can have a hug and embrace and laugh about the time he said ‘I bang everything’ at our press conference.

[IRONFIST]

Joyce was always going to come a cropper with his face first defence

[MasterG]

Right from the opening bell Joyce didn't look comfortable. For me he didn't seem there.

Joyce doesn't want to go back there again. Zhang will do him every time. Maybe the clock has finally caught up with Joyce.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Right from the opening bell Joyce didn't look comfortable. For me he didn't seem there.

Joyce doesn't want to go back there again. Zhang will do him every time. Maybe the clock has finally caught up with Joyce.

Yeah, his own corner were telling him he was half asleep?

I do wonder whether there was something wrong in camp, did he overtrain, or he could just have gotten old.

You definitely have to factor in though that Zhang nullified his jab and took it away.

[MasterG]

Right from the opening bell Joyce didn't look comfortable. For me he didn't seem there.

Joyce doesn't want to go back there again. Zhang will do him every time. Maybe the clock has finally caught up with Joyce.

Yeah, his own corner were telling him he was half asleep?

I do wonder whether there was something wrong in camp, did he overtrain, or he could just have gotten old.

You definitely have to factor in though that Zhang nullified his jab and took it away.

I said to my Mrs. Joyce is the kind of boxer who takes a lot of shots but they don't effect him. Went on to say that Joyce will get hit but tire Zhang down and stop in in the second half.

Watching the fight I said to her Joyce doesn't look right, he looks drugged up.

[The Gratest]

IMO, it was just simply a style thing. JJ has always looked cumbersome, no plan B, stylistically all wrong, no head movement, punch output + chin + size making up for a lack of fundamentals, he always did have a look of 'why isn't someone completely outboxing him?', yet he continued to get results
He didn't know how to adjust to a southpaw, how to lead with a right cross instead of a jab, plus the fact it was similarly sized southpaw with a decent whack whose honeypunch, the left cross, could find the mark repeatedly, just resulted in his flaws finally being exposed at that level.

He's a bloody nice guy though. No excuses, all the credit to Zhang, even a bit of humour thrown in as well. I'd love to see him comeback and gain a portion of the HW title, but can't see it against any of the current champions or the other fighters occupying the spaces just below. Unfortunately, time isn't on his side either.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Right from the opening bell Joyce didn't look comfortable. For me he didn't seem there.

Joyce doesn't want to go back there again. Zhang will do him every time. Maybe the clock has finally caught up with Joyce.

Yeah, his own corner were telling him he was half asleep?

I do wonder whether there was something wrong in camp, did he overtrain, or he could just have gotten old.

You definitely have to factor in though that Zhang nullified his jab and took it away.

I said to my Mrs. Joyce is the kind of boxer who takes a lot of shots but they don't effect him. Went on to say that Joyce will get hit but tire Zhang down and stop in in the second half.

Watching the fight I said to her Joyce doesn't look right, he looks drugged up.

Thing is, Joyce isn't the type to make excuses so if there was something up, we may never know.

[Glass Joe]

Fun fact Lennox Lewis never faced a southpaw in his pro career

[fifth_root]

It looks that the overhype of Joyce was just proven.

[deadpan]

Fun fact Lennox Lewis never faced a southpaw in his pro career

Indeed! I used to argue in Lewis's pomp that Michael Moorer would have Lennox's number because of that. But I was probably trying to be as much a smart arse as I was an actual astute observer of the noble art.

[Controversial]

Joyce’s punches looked like they had no snap or power in them. Maybe the years of damage have taken its toll on him

[ashall2]

Boxed like he always did, with no brain or defence... only difference is he was fighting a big banger and had lost a bit of weight so couldn't absorb as much.

[Noxy]

I like Joyce a lot. He‘s a classy guy. Not too many like him in the sport. As far as Zhang goes, this could catapult him into the big money fights. I’d heard of him before but I‘d never seen him.
The guy knows his bacon. Could be some big nights ahead for him.

[si7dog7]

So Joe is now awful? Really
No. His eye got closed. Weaknesses. Of course

But not fought a southpaw. C’mon.

The title of the article is way off.

Joe fights that way always. Which is why, sadly, he’ll come up short at the very to level.

Wanna see him fight again though (through closed fingers) coz Joe will fight anyone

No ducks in view

[mickey1975]

Joe requested a southpaw for this fight.

[si7dog7]

Joe requested a southpaw for this fight.

Err. Not sure that was the crux of the match-making tho?

[big lennox]

I think Joyce was really shaken in the first two rounds, particularly the second, and wasn't able to make the adjustments needed after that. They were huge shots he took. A lot of fighters would have crumbled under those combinations.

[mickey1975]

Joe requested a southpaw for this fight.

Err. Not sure that was the crux of the match-making tho?

Carl Frampton said it on the BBC Podcast. He must have had one eye on Usyk. Frampton said he was astonished.

[cormack]

Joe requested a southpaw for this fight.

Err. Not sure that was the crux of the match-making tho?

Carl Frampton said it on the BBC Podcast. He must have had one eye on Usyk. Frampton said he was astonished.

I think almost everyone was astonished at how JJ wasnt moving his head / himself away from Zangs left hand but also seemed unable to adapt quickly enough .
I see him taking the rematch and maybe catching up to Zang late like he did to parker but only if he stops using his own face to block punches !

[KiwiRider]

Joyce boxed Zhang like he boxed Takam, Hammer and Parker before. Relying on his chin and work rate to come through what they threw and hope to overwhelm them. People are saying Zhang couldn’t miss with left hand. Watch the Takam, Hammer and Parker fight in the first 3 rounds and ask if any of those guys could miss with their big right hand? Against those guys it worked, I commented in the Parker fight that it’s unbelievable that Joyce’s face never seems to cut or swell up.

Obviously against Zhang he took a huge (or sereral huge) shot that stunned him and possibly cracked his cheek bone in the first. His eye immediately swelled up, his nose immediately started bleeding a lot and all the things he was lucky didn’t happen against those guys had now happened early.

On top of that Zhang was so big and was able to keep throwing hard shots at a pace that was just enough to stay on top.

I think Zhang is to Joyce, what Thompson was to David Price. I wouldn’t get back in with him ever again, I’d chalk Zhang up as that guy who just has Joyce’s number and hope the next time Joyce meets him is after they’ve retired and they can have a hug and embrace and laugh about the time he said ‘I bang everything’ at our press conference.

Good post
It isn't southpaws, it's a fundamental lack of defence. I liken that fight to Kownacki vs Helenius, the face first guy finds his level. Same with Joyce.

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

Joyce fought like he always does. Zhang is just a great puncher who did a lot of damage.

[wrighty]

I'm hoping JJ goes away and works on a lot of things. He'll never be a Zab Judah style slickster though. I think they need to keep him away from Zhang, he just has his number

[oogiebe]

If they rematch. I'd still favor Joe. He's a second half stopper. With his eye he didn't get a chance to get there. Kudos to Zhang, but again, I'd bet JJ.

[coneye]

I would'nt write Joe of altogether , some just can't handle southpaws its simple has that