Zhilei Zhang vs. Joe Joyce II | TNT Sport - 23 September 2023

[Kilburn]

In a way Joyce should probably drain Zhang’s strength quicker than most, if only because Zhang finds that target in front of him to be too irresistible.

I’m not sure I like what I’m hearing from Joyce, he seems to be looking to win this rematch with force rather than any particular change in tactics.

That’s all well and good if he can land clean punches, but he didn’t really get into the fight last time until the eye was already in bad shape.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Zhang took away his jab last time, and Joe simply had no plan b, he just planned on wearing him down whilst eating huge amounts of shots.

He most likely wont win like that.

[tonyevs]

It's been queried before - and hindsight is a great thing of course.
But why would Joyce's people arrange to fight Zhang unless for mandatory?

A solid, slow punching guy who relies on taking punches to wear his opponent down - against a low output, bigger unit, with quick hands and a big punch.

[Ruthless-RKO]

British, Chinese, South African Judges Assigned To Fight Saturday Night

The British Boxing Board of Control has assigned a judge apiece from the home countries of Zhilei Zhang and Joe Joyce and a judge from neither fighter’s homeland to their heavyweight championship rematch Saturday night.

BS.com has confirmed that South Africa’s Deon Dwarte, China’s Mark Leong and England’s Marcus McDonnell will work their second 12-round fight for the WBO interim championship Zhang won from Joyce five months ago. England’s Steve Gray has been chosen as the referee for Zhang-Joyce II, which will headline a Queensberry Promotions card at OVO Wembley Arena in London.

China’s Zhang upset England’s Joyce by sixth-round technical knockout April 15 at Copper Box Arena in London. British referee Howard Foster took the advice of a British Boxing Board of Control physician and stopped their bout at 1:23 of the sixth round because of severe swelling around Joyce’s right eye, which Zhang caused by continually landing left hands for five-plus rounds.

The judges nevertheless had their scheduled 12-round bout close on the scorecards through five rounds.

England’s Phil Edwards had Joyce ahead, 48-47, entering the sixth round. The 2016 Olympic silver medalist trailed Zhang by the same score, 48-47, on the scorecards of Wisconsin’s Mike Fitzgerald and Florida’s Efrain Lebron.

The 6-foot-6, 256-pound Joyce (15-1, 14 KOs), who exercised his contractual right to an immediate rematch, was a 9-1 favorite in advance of that optional title defense. He was also the WBO’s mandatory challenger for one of Oleksandr Usyk’s four titles, a position that the 6-foot-6, 278-pound Zhang attained by beating Joyce.

Zhang (25-1-1, 20 KOs), who won a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, is slightly favored to win their second bout, according to most sportsbooks.

TNT Sports will televise this rematch between Zhang, 40, and Joyce, 38, as the main event of a multi-bout broadcast scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. BST in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It’ll headline a show ESPN+ will stream in the United States, starting at 2 p.m. EDT and 11 a.m. PDT.

[gregregegg]

For judges I much prefer 3 neutral to 1 each and a neutral.

[Ruthless-RKO]

presser today

[joshj909]

I won money betting on Zhang to win by KO in the last fight but I'm not going to bet on him this time. Although he had huge success, he also showed vulnerabilities. I think that this one might be more competitive but with a more decisive ending by either man. More difficult to predict than last time because Joyce knows which vulnerabilities he has to fix, Zhang might not.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Eddie Hearn said repeat rather than revenge – and a precise one at that.

“I’m afraid to say it, I’m gonna go with a Zhang stoppage inside six rounds.”

[IRONFIST]

Unsurprisingly not great odds on outright stoppage win for Zhang at around 6/4, group round betting, Zhang win in rounds 1-6 at around 6/1. Joyce 3/1 for the outright stoppage, or 9/1 to win in rounds 1-6..

[Ruthless-RKO]

Zhilei Zhang: “Your team is going for a rematch, which is a big mistake and I’m going to end your career.”

Joe Joyce: “Well, let’s see it then. Let’s have it…I’m looking forward to getting a victory this time around.”

[Finkel]

For judges I much prefer 3 neutral to 1 each and a neutral.

That would be far too sensible and too difficult to rig.

McDonnell is there for one reason only. To turn in a card for the queensberry fighter.



Let's not forget Joyce took a pasting in fight 1, and the English judge still had him ahead.

[maverick23]

Any word on an opponent for Yarde? Just over 48 hours until the fight….

[Frostieballs]

I think Joyce is isn’t going to change anything technically.

If anything he might be even more aggressive as that is all he knows.

On that basis it’s a 50/50 shootout - so I’m backing a Joyce stoppage as it’s the bigger price.

[jameswilson]

Any word on an opponent for Yarde? Just over 48 hours until the fight….

Dot Cotton.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Any word on an opponent for Yarde? Just over 48 hours until the fight….

Jorge Silva (22-8)

[jwfg]

Here's my prediciton....

Joyce starts hesitant, but after a minute regresses. The fight follows the same pattern as the last fight, but Zhang works at a faster pace. Joyce's face is a mess after four rounds and not long after that, backs to the ropes and the ref stops it during the final Zhang onslaught.

[big lennox]

Here's my prediciton....

Joyce starts hesitant, but after a minute regresses. The fight follows the same pattern as the last fight, but Zhang works at a faster pace. Joyce's face is a mess after four rounds and not long after that, backs to the ropes and the ref stops it during the final Zhang onslaught.

I remember thinking how confident and relaxed Zang was before the first fight. He seems even more confident this time round: like he knows that he has Joyce's measure.

I think a 4th round stoppage win for Zang is a good bet, possibly earlier, maybe even by ko rather through swollen eye.

I hope I am completely off beam with this prediction and Joyce turns the tables and stops Zang. Either way, I think there will be action as soon as the bell goes.

[jwfg]

Here's my prediciton....

Joyce starts hesitant, but after a minute regresses. The fight follows the same pattern as the last fight, but Zhang works at a faster pace. Joyce's face is a mess after four rounds and not long after that, backs to the ropes and the ref stops it during the final Zhang onslaught.

I remember thinking how confident and relaxed Zang was before the first fight. He seems even more confident this time round: like he knows that he has Joyce's measure.

I think a 4th round stoppage win for Zang is a good bet, possibly earlier, maybe even by ko rather through swollen eye.

I hope I am completely off beam with this prediction and Joyce turns the tables and stops Zang. Either way, I think there will be action as soon as the bell goes.

Joe's a good guy and I wish him the best, but if I was advising him, I wouldn't have activated that rematch clause.

[big lennox]

Here's my prediciton....

Joyce starts hesitant, but after a minute regresses. The fight follows the same pattern as the last fight, but Zhang works at a faster pace. Joyce's face is a mess after four rounds and not long after that, backs to the ropes and the ref stops it during the final Zhang onslaught.

I remember thinking how confident and relaxed Zang was before the first fight. He seems even more confident this time round: like he knows that he has Joyce's measure.

I think a 4th round stoppage win for Zang is a good bet, possibly earlier, maybe even by ko rather through swollen eye.

I hope I am completely off beam with this prediction and Joyce turns the tables and stops Zang. Either way, I think there will be action as soon as the bell goes.

Joe's a good guy and I wish him the best, but if I was advising him, I wouldn't have activated that rematch clause.

Ditto, although I wonder if he wasn't going to be dissuaded.

[maverick23]

Any word on an opponent for Yarde? Just over 48 hours until the fight….

Jorge Silva (22-8)

What a crap fight. Spent most of his career at lower weights and lost every round against Kieran Conway in a keep busy fight at super middle not so long ago.

Should a fight like this even be sanctioned in the U.K.?

[margaret thatcher]

CHINESE POWAH BACK ON UK SHORES

[jwfg]

CHINESE POWAH BACK ON UK SHORES

Confucius say, "He who enters the ring with Zhang, gets his face smashed in."

[jameswilson]

'I'm duhhhh big bang, I just bang evewyfing!!'

*Pause before loud laughter in the audience.*

[tigermoth87]

Let's hope big bang bang's him out.

Can't stand Joyce. Another overhyped, British clown. Hope Big Bang humbles him.

[IRONFIST]

CHINESE POWAH BACK ON UK SHORES

Confucius say, "He who enters the ring with Zhang, gets his face smashed in."