Putney's Joe Joyce to Get Rematch with Zhilei Zhang

Tyson Fury offers to be his sparring partner for a fee

Joe Joyce congratulates Zhilei Zhang after his win. Picture: Frank Warren

June 30, 2023

It has been announced that Putney boxer Joe Joyce will have a rematch with Zhilei Zhang, the Chinese giant who took his WBO interim title for him earlier this year.

The loss was a crushing blow for Joe who could have been in line for a world title shot had he won the bout.

Since the surprise defeat in April, he has spoken frankly about his mental recovery but has vowed to get revenge against an opponent he describes as a 'tricky b*****d' when they meet again at the Wembley Arena in September.

He was starting to get back into the fight after taking some punishment in the early stages but the swelling to his right eye from Zhang’s jabs got too severe for him to continue.

He told the Daily Mail, ‘I didn't lose too badly, I could have carried on, I felt I could carry on but it was stopped for me.

'I know I'll do better next time. I was just so disappointed for the people that came out to watch me, my family, my friends and I didn't deliver like I normally do.’

Boxing pundits believe that Joe struggled to develop a strategy to deal with a southpaw as it was five years since he last faced a left-handed boxer.

‘Juggernauty’ Joe is confident he can crack the puzzle next time out saying, “It's a whole different style that you have to deal with. I mean there's different types of southpaws just like there's different orthodoxs and he's a very experienced and tricky southpaw.

'He's strong, he's tough, he was eating my shots, he's solid, he's quite hard to move around and he was accurate and fast - very fast - especially with backhand, he kept on nailing me over and over on the eye.'

When news of the fight was announced, Tyson Fury posted on Instagram, "Joe I saw you've got the Zhang fight coming up again, if you want some proper southpaw sparring from someone who's bigger, fatter, quicker, harder puncher, everything than Zhang, then please come up to Morecambe and do some sparring with me.

"It can only improve it, it will make it better and trust me on this, I've got a secret for you and I know how to beat that Zhang.

"Chop him down like an old oak tree. The offer is there Joe, get yourself down to Morecambe Bay and do as many rounds as you want with myself.

"Get up there, can't say anything better than that and I won't charge a lot, just £100k a round."

It is not known what the response from Joe was to this offer.

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