BoxRec

Joe Joyce exercises rematch clause for bout with Zhilei Zhang

Joe Joyce has exercised the rematch clause for a return bout with Zhilei Zhang, Joyce's manager, Adam Morallee, told ESPN on Monday.

The 40-year-old Zhang scored a massive upset when he stopped Joyce in the sixth round of their heavyweight bout last month in London.

Zhang, an Olympic silver medalist, is in the running to fight heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in July. However, Joyce has the contractual option to hold the rematch with Zhang in either of Zhang's next two fights. Queensberry promotes Fury, Joyce and has options on Zhang for his next three bouts.

"Joyce had the right to call for the rematch in either of the next two fights but has chosen to have the fight now," Morallee said. "I think he would have won the first fight had it continued and the eye hadn't gone.

"I think he would have swarmed him in the second half of the fight. That was always going to be a fight of two halves and unfortunately he got injured in the first half."

Zhang, a 6-1 underdog, punished Joyce, whose right eye was completely swollen shut when the fight was stopped on the advice of the ringside doctor in Round 6.

With the victory, Zhang (25-1-1, 20 KOs) placed himself in pole position for the Fury assignment this summer. But now that Joyce has exercised the rematch clause, he would have to allow Zhang to fight Fury first.

"This is the only fight we're looking at," Morallee said. "Get him back in his mandatory position and go for [the title shot]."

Joyce (15-1, 14 KOs) lost his WBO interim heavyweight title in the bout, which guaranteed the 37-year-old a shot at unified champion Oleksandr Usyk. Joyce is also an Olympic silver medalist (he captured his medal in 2016; Zhang in '08).

The Londoner dropped to No. 9 in ESPN's heavyweight rankings, while Zhang debuted at No. 7. Zhang's lone career defeat in the pros came in August when he dropped a controversial decision to Olympic bronze medalist Filip Hrgovic.

"We don't see the fight playing out differently; it's just a bad style matchup for Joe, and we have no problem fighting him again," said Zhang's manager, Terry Lane. "He's a very tough fighter; we have all the respect for Joe."

However, there's still hope from Zhang's side that something can be worked out so the Fury fight can take place next.

"We want the fight and we're prepared to take the fight in July," Lane said. "We're looking forward to talking about it."

Joyce will only be doing this for the step aside money for when Fury faces Zhang otherwise Frank will be fuming.

I believe Frank only has options on Zhang's next fight so if he was to beat Joyce again, not only would Fury be left without his desired opponent, Zhang could also become a free agent again having just defeated Queensbury's no.2 heavyweight twice in a row.

Unless Frank is going to use this as an excuse why Fury will face a nobody?

Edit: I've just seen that Joyce has the option of exercising the rematch in either of Zhang's next two fights so could face him after Fury.

Fvcking love Joyce.

Either he is dumb enough that he wants to run it back even after realising it’s a fornicating shocker matchup and getting his face smashed in.

Or he is smart enough to realise if he activates this clause and fury wants zhang he can get a cool million for drinking beers in the front row….

Either way, the best.

joshj909 wrote: ↑08 May 2023, 17:29

Unless Frank is going to use this as an excuse why Fury will face a nobody?

No surprises at all there I`d say

I guess Joyce is at the age/stage where its sh1t or bust ... if he doesn`t fight and beat Zhang next he is unlikely to find an alternative route to the top, especially because fWank doesnt seem to be doing him any favours.
Best of luck to Joyce, but i just don`t see how he fixes the mistakes at this stage of his career.

I don't want to see this, let Zhang have his shot at Fury first.

I think this is all about the step aside money, and in the unlikely event that Zhang wins it’s a shot at the WBC title…

It reminds me when Price jumped straight back in with Thompson. Very happy to be wrong though...

Roars Like Me wrote: ↑09 May 2023, 08:51 It reminds me when Price jumped straight back in with Thompson. Very happy to be wrong though...

Exactly. I think Zhang is all wrong for Joyce, unless he makes some adjustments to his defence and stops using his face…

Can here Fury now, I wanted that Zhang fella the big bobble headed dosser, he's shite himself and now I've got to fight Charr.

Nightmare Roy wrote: ↑09 May 2023, 14:34 Can here Fury now, I wanted that Zhang fella the big bobble headed dosser, he's shite himself and now I've got to fight Charr.

I read that on Fury’s voice.

When you can read something in someone’s voice, it means it can be said.

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑09 May 2023, 15:35

Nightmare Roy wrote: ↑09 May 2023, 14:34 Can here Fury now, I wanted that Zhang fella the big bobble headed dosser, he's shite himself and now I've got to fight Charr.

I read that on Fury’s voice.

When you can read something in someone’s voice, it means it can be said.

Shame really I think it would have been a decent fight despite what a lot of people have said, Zhang is decent, hard as nails with a really impressive amateur career. Just cant see Joyce beating him.

tonyevs wrote: ↑09 May 2023, 06:54

joshj909 wrote: ↑08 May 2023, 17:29

Unless Frank is going to use this as an excuse why Fury will face a nobody?

No surprises at all there I`d say

I guess Joyce is at the age/stage where its sh1t or bust ... if he doesn`t fight and beat Zhang next he is unlikely to find an alternative route to the top, especially because fWank doesnt seem to be doing him any favours.
Best of luck to Joyce, but i just don`t see how he fixes the mistakes at this stage of his career.

That's what I think too, Joyce needs to move a step ahead of father time.
So he has to rematch Zhang to gain his place back in line for a title shot, with plan B of getting paid to wait. From what I have heard Joyce say, he really does want a title shot.

Big balls has Joyce. Big balls that weigh down his spine, causing him to stand directly up in a straight line with no head movement. Big balls nonetheless.

Presumably Joyce can make some improvements in terms of blocking if not movement. He might be more or banking on Zhang not training as hard, or perhaps getting old(er) overnight.

Joyce was an excellent amateur but amateur and pro I’ve never seen him switch to a different style that doesn’t see him rely on his chin and durability.

I’ve said before he has some absurd ability to not have black eyes or cuts because vs Takam, Parker and the guy who lost to Fury but knocked Price out. He took bomb after bomb and not just didn’t get stunned but also didn’t take any facial damage at all. Zhang with the southpaw angle clearly affected things and also I think fair to say he has a level of power above Takam, Parker and so on.

I just see this as a similar Price v Thompson situation. Joyce is gonna have to do something early to quickly slow Zhang down beyond his usual plodding speed.

polecateddy wrote: ↑09 May 2023, 17:56 Presumably Joyce can make some improvements in terms of blocking if not movement. He might be more or banking on Zhang not training as hard, or perhaps getting old(er) overnight.

Gee you would hope so right?
But at 37 years old, and all his amateur experience, he had no plan B in the first fight. He didn't try anything different. Zhang kept landing the same flush punch.
So I like to think he can come in and di something different, but I'm not confident.

Joyce needs to stay out of mid range for the first half of the fight…. Jab only and almost from outside of jabbing range, just super long speculative jabs.

Then even though Joyce had never been one to hold, if I’m Joyce first few rounds im mixing it in, just to be gruling Basicaly until the ref takes a point if im close enough to grab zhang I’m hanging on and maki mg him hold my 270lbs…

It’s not the fun Joyce anyone wants to see, but after 6 or 7 rounds of been okolie Joyce can convert back to his old self and when you get to that back end Joyce’s cardio advantage is so much that he really should stop zhang.

joyce needs to box like he did in the dubois fight. lots of jabbing. being respectful of opponent's' power. not just casually walking into shots.

I can’t see the Joyce camp thinking “We’ll pretty do the same as last time and hope the eye doesn’t go again”.

They’ll certainly have to come up with something for those early rounds though, while the danger is there. Zhang’s left hand is fast, loose and heavy. Plus he’ll bring even more confidence for the rematch.

But it’s certainly not beyond Joyce.

Joe's only real option was to activate the rematch clause. He's too old to be messing with tune-up fights. I still give him a decent chance, he just needs to get to the later rounds. But, can't see him doing too much different, so he's gonna still get tagged.

I'm going with more of the same but it's not a foregone conclusion.

man...I hate rematch clauses

1111519 wrote: ↑14 May 2023, 16:37 man...I hate rematch clauses

Sometimes they are warranted.
Eubank Smith, and this one.
Very few others I can think of

Why is a re-match warranted in either this or Eubank-Smith? Both first fights were one sided.

1111519 wrote: ↑14 May 2023, 16:37 man...I hate rematch clauses

absolutely should be banned by the ABC governing bodys.

That said, i dont completly hate this rematch, dont get me wrong, zhang won it and won it well, but cuts and eye swelling finnishes do frustrate me a little, so id like to see if joe can adapt and come back, or even if he dosent adapt at all, can his chin just hold up untill zhang gasses out and he takes over...