Round-by-Round: Joe Joyce vs. Zhang Zhilei | BT Sport - 15 April 2023

[KiwiRider]

No man, it is. Zhang is a really good heavyweight boxer.

Joe Joyce is more worse than Zhang is good. Just my opinion.

In the Uk there is WAY to much brown nosing our fighters. Joyce is awful really. Zhang will get beat once he steps up. After he totally wreaks Joyce in the rematch ..

Joyce obviously couldn’t continue but was far from a beaten man. Bit of a stretch to be predicting Joyce getting wreaked in a return.

He was looking a bit flat too. I'm sure he can perform better than that. He was hurt very early on, that may have been when his eye problems started.

[xeo7]

No man, it is. Zhang is a really good heavyweight boxer.

Joe Joyce is more worse than Zhang is good. Just my opinion.

In the Uk there is WAY to much brown nosing our fighters. Joyce is awful really. Zhang will get beat once he steps up. After he totally wreaks Joyce in the rematch ..

Joyce obviously couldn’t continue but was far from a beaten man. Bit of a stretch to be predicting Joyce getting wreaked in a return.

Huh? Zhang won almost every round .. gone the distance Zhang on points !! Easy.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Think that eye looked broken, id not be surprised if joyce has to have surgery and it will likely bust up again. Hes always marked up fairly easily, he will be seriously hampered.

One thing i did notice early, was Zhang took Joyces jab away very easily by parrying it with an open glove, and joyce looked pretty clueless what to do about it.

[qatarm]

Joe Joyce is more worse than Zhang is good. Just my opinion.

In the Uk there is WAY to much brown nosing our fighters. Joyce is awful really. Zhang will get beat once he steps up. After he totally wreaks Joyce in the rematch ..

Joyce obviously couldn’t continue but was far from a beaten man. Bit of a stretch to be predicting Joyce getting wreaked in a return.

Huh? Zhang won almost every round .. gone the distance Zhang on points !! Easy.

He may have deserved a points victory if it went the distance but do you think he would have got it?

[Coco]

This isn’t about how good Zhang is

It’s about bad Joyce has always been

Stiff, ridged, flat footed and basic

And about as entertaining to watch as Oklie

No man, it is. Zhang is a really good heavyweight boxer.

Joe Joyce is more worse than Zhang is good. Just my opinion.

In the Uk there is WAY to much brown nosing our fighters. Joyce is awful really. Zhang will get beat once he steps up. After he totally wreaks Joyce in the rematch ..

Awful?? As in most blokes in the pub would beat him?
And for Zhang, when he steps up? Like to British level? Euro level? Or do you mean elite world level?
How would he do against AJ?

[jamesmcdonnell]

Joe Joyce is more worse than Zhang is good. Just my opinion.

In the Uk there is WAY to much brown nosing our fighters. Joyce is awful really. Zhang will get beat once he steps up. After he totally wreaks Joyce in the rematch ..

Joyce obviously couldn’t continue but was far from a beaten man. Bit of a stretch to be predicting Joyce getting wreaked in a return.

Huh? Zhang won almost every round .. gone the distance Zhang on points !! Easy.

Joyce outworked him in two rounds.

[KiwiRider]

Gawd, that bastard Ruthie is probably going to get us to rate Zhang now in the boxrec HW top 15
Where is he at?
He hurt Joyce, but couldn't stop him.
He also ran out of gas by the 4th or 5th.

[xeo7]

Joyce obviously couldn’t continue but was far from a beaten man. Bit of a stretch to be predicting Joyce getting wreaked in a return.

Huh? Zhang won almost every round .. gone the distance Zhang on points !! Easy.

He may have deserved a points victory if it went the distance but do you think he would have got it?

I think so. Every now & then, a fighter meets his bogeyman.

Deonaty wilders is Tyson fury.

Joe Joyce is Zhang the bang.

Remember it

[jameswilson]

Joyce obviously couldn’t continue but was far from a beaten man. Bit of a stretch to be predicting Joyce getting wreaked in a return.

Huh? Zhang won almost every round .. gone the distance Zhang on points !! Easy.

He may have deserved a points victory if it went the distance but do you think he would have got it?

2 Judges had him up a point. 1 down. So possibly not had it gone to the end.

As far as people making out like Zhang was going to collapse from exhaustion 2 rounds later i don’t think he would have. He looked knackered vs Hrgovic after 6 or 7 and got to the end of the fight fine. I personally felt like while he was tired he was comfortable with the pace of the fight and what he was coming at him even tho he would likely have lost the bulk of the rest of the rounds.

[joshj909]

Gawd, that bastard Ruthie is probably going to get us to rate Zhang now in the boxrec HW top 15
Where is he at?
He hurt Joyce, but couldn't stop him.
He also ran out of gas by the 4th or 5th.

He's 100% top 10 with that win. I'd probably have him about 5th with Joyce dropping down to about 7th. The problem for me comes with trying to work out what we do with Hrgovic now.

[Flump]

It's an injury stoppage, the fight didn't properly play out, Zhang was clearly ahead, but given the top guys plus Joshua are apparently tied up, the rematch is justified. Though if Joyce doesn't learn how to avoid a southpaw left down the pipe, it will go the same way.

[watsupdoc87]

Bullshit if zhang has to wait for a rematch. Jj will need surgery and a long lay off. Let the china man progress, hes 40 soon ffs. He beat up jj had him badly rocked a couple times away from home and got robbed against hergovic. Let him have his shot

[KiwiRider]

Gawd, that bastard Ruthie is probably going to get us to rate Zhang now in the boxrec HW top 15
Where is he at?
He hurt Joyce, but couldn't stop him.
He also ran out of gas by the 4th or 5th.

He's 100% top 10 with that win. I'd probably have him about 5th with Joyce dropping down to about 7th. The problem for me comes with trying to work out what we do with Hrgovic now.

I take it you in the Zhang beat Hrg camp like me?
I mean it was close, and Zhang's cardio let him down too.
Joyce definitely drops down a few. I worry he would struggle against the slick Cuban Sanchez now...

[Flump]

Bullshit if zhang has to wait for a rematch. Jj will need surgery and a long lay off. Let the china man progress, hes 40 soon ffs. He beat up jj had him badly rocked a couple times away from home and got robbed against hergovic. Let him have his shot

There seems to be a mini tournament going on amongst the big 4 though. Rematch will be Zhang's giggest earner. And sadly, even if he wins, he'll be frozen out until he's 50.

[Grilling Machine]

Sorry mate - can’t see how Joyce could have been up.

Without the injury I felt Joyce's quality work to the body would've told more than Zhang's less frequent clean counters a few rounds later, but his eye was such a handicap it's also fair to say he lost every round.

Zhang could've thrown zero punches in R6 and still have been on top, y'know. I had Joyce winning the battle in R3-5 while losing the war throughout.

[chinarich]

I thought this would be a competitive fight with Joyce outlasting Zhang, but, even though I quite like Joyce I’m pleased for Zhang I thought he was robbed against Hrgovic so it’s great to see him pick up this win. It could really inspire boxing in China if Zhang gets his title shot.

[coneye]

Sare they replaying bugner v bruno where you guys are good fight bruno lot quicker and better than i remember him would more than be a handful for the current heavyweights enjoyable watch

[watsupdoc87]

Bullshit if zhang has to wait for a rematch. Jj will need surgery and a long lay off. Let the china man progress, hes 40 soon ffs. He beat up jj had him badly rocked a couple times away from home and got robbed against hergovic. Let him have his shot

There seems to be a mini tournament going on amongst the big 4 though. Rematch will be Zhang's giggest earner. And sadly, even if he wins, he'll be frozen out until he's 50.

Fuk it , wait it out for his shot. If they rematch and it goes the distance he never gets the decision. Ffs didn't 2 of the judges have jj ahead tonight. Wasn't close. Jj won one round. If they rematch and Zhang doesn't stop him again then he losses no matter what happens in the fight. Wait for the title shot and dont get screwed by home town judges. Already got robbed against hergovic

[joshj909]

Gawd, that bastard Ruthie is probably going to get us to rate Zhang now in the boxrec HW top 15
Where is he at?
He hurt Joyce, but couldn't stop him.
He also ran out of gas by the 4th or 5th.

He's 100% top 10 with that win. I'd probably have him about 5th with Joyce dropping down to about 7th. The problem for me comes with trying to work out what we do with Hrgovic now.

I take it you in the Zhang beat Hrg camp like me?
I mean it was close, and Zhang's cardio let him down too.
Joyce definitely drops down a few. I worry he would struggle against the slick Cuban Sanchez now...

I had Zhang winning but I don't think Hrgovic winning by a round would have been a huge robbery. Either way I think with the official win Hrgovic has to be considered to be involved in the rankings somewhere. Not sure what Zhang's draw with Forrest

Joyce Vs Sanchez would be strange. A very fast point fighter who avoids brawls and doesn't engage much Vs a slow but high pressure power puncher.

[Roco]

Sare they replaying bugner v bruno where you guys are good fight bruno lot quicker and better than i remember him would more than be a handful for the current heavyweights enjoyable watch

Just watching it. Bruno technically better than most these days. He would do good today.

[Flump]

Bullshit if zhang has to wait for a rematch. Jj will need surgery and a long lay off. Let the china man progress, hes 40 soon ffs. He beat up jj had him badly rocked a couple times away from home and got robbed against hergovic. Let him have his shot

There seems to be a mini tournament going on amongst the big 4 though. Rematch will be Zhang's giggest earner. And sadly, even if he wins, he'll be frozen out until he's 50.

Fuk it , wait it out for his shot. If they rematch and it goes the distance he never gets the decision. Ffs didn't 2 of the judges have jj ahead tonight. Wasn't close. Jj won one round. If they rematch and Zhang doesn't stop him again then he losses no matter what happens in the fight. Wait for the title shot and dont get screwed by home town judges. Already got robbed against hergovic

Zhang was deffo on top. Tbf though, I'm shocked a British ref gave a toss about his eye.

[TBA]

A few points

-Zhang was coping pretty handily with everything Joyce was throwing upstairs. Alot of output but also much on the arms and the gloves. Zhang was comfortable despite his output dropping

-Zhang didn't like the bodywork though. If Joyce is gonna put that output, it should be close and to the body. Tire the big man out.

-Joyce liked it to the body even less. When Zhang did go downstairs, Joe was visibly hurt. Usyk and Fury will be well aware.

-Zhang has great timing, deceptive speed and obvious power. Everyone of his fights will follow the same pattern, but he will catch anyone atleast once. It's just a question of how they handled it. Hrgovid handled it physically but not mentally, Joyce handled it mentally but not physically.

-Final one. Does this make Hrgovic look better in retrospect now?

[watsupdoc87]

There seems to be a mini tournament going on amongst the big 4 though. Rematch will be Zhang's giggest earner. And sadly, even if he wins, he'll be frozen out until he's 50.

Fuk it , wait it out for his shot. If they rematch and it goes the distance he never gets the decision. Ffs didn't 2 of the judges have jj ahead tonight. Wasn't close. Jj won one round. If they rematch and Zhang doesn't stop him again then he losses no matter what happens in the fight. Wait for the title shot and dont get screwed by home town judges. Already got robbed against hergovic

Zhang was deffo on top. Tbf though, I'm shocked a British ref gave a toss about his eye.

Very surprised about that myself. Like very fuking surprised. Especially after foster stopped Zhang from unloading on jj in the 2nd after wobbling him with the straight left. Thought foster would take a point of zhang for hitting to hard!! But in all seriousness this was a voluntary world title shot, it was 2 challengers there shouldn't be a rematch clause

[jamesmcdonnell]

A few points

-Zhang was coping pretty handily with everything Joyce was throwing upstairs. Alot of output but also much on the arms and the gloves. Zhang was comfortable despite his output dropping

-Zhang didn't like the bodywork though. If Joyce is gonna put that output, it should be close and to the body. Tire the big man out.

-Joyce liked it to the body even less. When Zhang did go downstairs, Joe was visibly hurt. Usyk and Fury will be well aware.

-Zhang has great timing, deceptive speed and obvious power. Everyone of his fights will follow the same pattern, but he will catch anyone atleast once. It's just a question of how they handled it. Hrgovid handled it physically but not mentally, Joyce handled it mentally but not physically.

-Final one. Does this make Hrgovic look better in retrospect now?

Agree with all of this.

Joyce looked close to dropping from a body shot at one point

[samwbr]

Bruno v Bugner on BT straight after, Reg and Jim thinking 30yrs the high water mark for a heavyweight.