September 23rd 2023.
Joe Joyce's attempt to avenge his first defeat to Zhilei Zhang proved to be in vain as the Englishman was knocked out in the third round of their rematch at Wembley Arena. This was a much shorter fight than their first bout, where Zhang secured a TKO victory in the sixth round due to damage to Joyce's eye.
The bout began uneventfully, but by the second round, Joyce was already looking in trouble. Just moments later, he was knocked face first to the canvas by a crushing right hook from Zhang. Though Joyce impressively rose to his feet, the fight was rightfully waved off as his record fell to 15-2.
Speaking through a translator, Zhang was elated with his victory, expressing his respect for Joyce and proclaiming that he came to the match to "entertain the crowd" and "witness Chinese power". He is now the mandatory challenger for the WBO heavyweight title held by Oleksandr Usyk, but it was Tyson Fury he had on his mind after his impressive performance. He asked the audience if they wanted to "see [him] shut Tyson Fury up", and the crowd roared in response.
Joe Joyce has now suffered two straight defeats, and he can't afford to make the same mistakes as he did in this fight if he hopes to secure the title shot against Usyk. As for Zhang, his record now stands at 26-1-1, and his hopes of a potential showdown with Fury may be closer to becoming a reality.
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