By Gabriel Princewill-
Heavyweight contender, Joe Joyce, returns to the ring tonight in a bid to avenge the lone defeat of his career, standing between him and the world title shot he craves.
Joyce, suffered the first defeat of his professional career after Chinese boxer, Zhang befuddled him and handed him a mother of all beatings, leaving the boxing world stunned.
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Zhang on that occasion outclassed and dismantled Joyce, raising questions about the future of this once-promising London fighter.
In April, Joe Joyce was riding high on a wave of success and recognition, having prevailed in all his contests, particularly against former world champion, Joseph Parker.
Many believed that Zhang would serve as the ideal warm-up opponent for Joyce, a chance to showcase his skills and potentially secure a knockout victory against a man only beaten once in a controversial defeat to Fillip Hjorkvic
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Zhang was deemed slow, easy to hit, and a puzzle waiting to be solved. However, in the unforgiving world of boxing, assumptions can be costly, and it became evident that Zhang was no pushover. At 40 years of age, he showcased remarkable tactical brilliance, avoiding Joyce’s jabs and straight rights with ease.
Zhang’s left hand proved to be a potent weapon, connecting repeatedly with precision and speed.
Zhang dominated Joyce in first fight and forced stoppage
As the fight progressed, it became clear that Zhang was a far trickier southpaw than most anticipated; his speed emerging as a revelation to shatter preconceived notions.
Zhang dominated the fight throughout it’s duration, and while the official end came due to Joyce’s closed right eye, it was merely a formality. Zhang had been in total control.
In the aftermath of the defeat, Joe Joyce admitted, “I took a risk.” He acknowledged that he could have chosen an easier opponent and bided his time for a title fight.
Joyce’s career has been marked by a willingness to embrace challenges and face formidable opponents head-on. He has displayed a level of courage and ambition that sets him apart from many modern heavyweights.
With that unexpected defeat, Joe Joyce now faces an uphill battle to salvage his career. He is in a must win fight tonight against a very tough opponent at world level who may well be convinced he has the Londoner’s number.
Defeat in boxing is often a harsh teacher, but it can also be a catalyst for growth and improvement.
Joyce, who carries with him the weight of expectations and the scars of defeat will give this his best go. As a tough cookie, and can mix well with most heavyweights today.
But he is too predictable, and Zhang, who is as ambitious as Joyce, can generate that sense of urgency at any point in a fight to close the show.
The Chinese boxer has the psychological edge of having beaten Joyce once before, which makes this fight more intriguing since Joyce is intrinsically competent enough to at least earn a draw, if not even pull the win.
I envisage a late stoppage by Zhang in the last three rounds of a thrilling contest, otherwise Joyce might nick this one on points.
A compelling victory for Joyce will be remarkable, and throw him back into world title contention.
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