JOE JOYCE’s world title hopes are in tatters following a shock defeat Zhilei Zhang.
The Putney Pounder locked horns with the six-foot-six bruiser on Saturday night at a packed Copperbox Arena, the venue for the Brit’s first defence of the interim WBO heavyweight title.
REUTERSJoe Joyce locked horns with Zhilei Zhang at London’s Copperbox Arena[/caption]
The former Team GB star hoped to retain the title – and his status as the mandatory challenger for Oleksandr Usyk’s undisputed strap – with a sixth stoppage victory in a row.
But Chinese clubber Zhang had other ideas – ending his reign as interim champ and
Both men pawed out their lead hand ear;y n the first as they tried to establish their range and get reads on one another.
A leaner and meaner Joyce was light on his feet as he tried to his way forward. But he soon himself briefly wobbled by a few rattling left hands which wobbled his legs.
Zhang’s lethal left hand snapped back Joyce’s head seconds before the end of the stanza and gave the Brit plenty of food for thought as he went back to his corner.
Joyce was his plod-some self again in the second and operated at a pace the Chinese clubber was more than happy to operate.
And he got wobbled again by yet another straight left hand which forced him to clinch for dear life.
Joyce managed to weather the storm and see out the torrid round – which ended with another straight left snapping back his head.
Zhang was brimming with confidence in the third and continued to have success with his left hand, although a right uppercut proved to be his shot of the round.
Joyce opted to box Big Bang Zhang at distance in the fourth but still found himself in the perfect range for a straight left – which once again repeatedly rattled his dome.
The ante was upped by Joyce in the fifth, with the Brit opting to work the body as well as the head.
Zhang, however, continued to do his work up top and landed even more straight lefts to the swollen left eye of Joyce.
The ringside doctor took a long and hard look at Joyce’s eye before the restart and deemed him fit enough to continue.
But the swelling continued to grow with each passing punch from a fluid Zhang – prompting a second inspection from the doctor.
And he informed veteran ref Howard Foster that the Putney punisher was unable to see – prompting the official to call a halt to proceedings.
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