Joe Joyce v Zhang Zhilei 4/15

[palmerq]

Well they found some who makes Joyce look quick, impressive work.

[Spicoli]

Well they found some who makes Joyce look quick, impressive work.

Get the feel he'll be out there resembling Sugar Ray vs Zhang. Both of them but still a fun match up.

[Big J]

Zhang can take punch, I just don't think he has the stamina to last the distance against Joyce
Joyce will have fought Zhang, Parker, Takam, Dubois & Jennings before getting a title shot

[Master]

Joyce has demonstrated he deserves a place amongst the heavyweight elite. His next fight will be on April 15 against Zhilei Zhang. As an experienced, heavy-handed southpaw, China's Zhang could be ideal preparation for an eventual fight with Fury or Usyk.

"I haven't fought a southpaw since Lenroy Thomas so it's good to get in there and practice," Joyce said.

"Because as we know Usyk's a southpaw and Fury can switch southpaw as well. Great preparation for the next round of competition."

He believes his fight with Zhang could be another war, at least in the early going.

"I'd say the first five rounds he'd be pretty dangerous. He's got the power and experience," Joyce said.

"It's going to be awkward because he's a southpaw, had good amateur experience, Olympic silver medallist as well."

He thinks Zhang was unlucky to lose a decision to Filip Hrgovic in his last bout. "It was a tough fight right to the end but I thought he did better overall and he was unlucky," Joyce said.

"He was proper blowing in that last round. It's a nice story because I beat Filip Hrgovic in the WSB, I'm fighting Zhang who unfortunately lost out to him.

"It's an exciting fight, a risky opportunity but it's a really good fight."

On Yoka's loss to Takam
Another of Joyce's amateur rivals, France's Tony Yoka did not fare well when fighting Carlos Takam, one of Joyce's former professional opponents himself, last weekend.

"I've fought Takam and also sparred him last camp. He's a good guy and it was good to see him get the victory. He boxed really well," Joyce said.

"Yoka, I don't know. I don't see much difference from the amateurs especially in that performance. He's holding his guard [tight]. The punches he did land were good punches but not that many."

Joyce lost a highly controversial decision to Yoka in their Olympic super-heavyweight final at Rio 2016. But Joyce can compare how he has progressed with Yoka's professional struggles.

"Where he was Olympic champion, he's got too over-confident. His ego, and being able to pick his opponents," Joyce said of Yoka.

"He was saying in an interview, I don't think Joyce will do anything in the pros and it seems to have backfired."

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...e3bd16f5&ei=23

[Spicoli]

Get the feeling these two genuinely like each other a bit. Or just ok dudes.

[Master]

Get the feeling these two genuinely like each other a bit. Or just ok dudes.

Either way Joyce is going to put a whole lot of pain on Zhang.

[Master]

Joe Joyce has offered to fight Tyson Fury in the summer after his rival's clash with Oleksandr Usyk collapsed.

It is expected that Usyk will now be ordered to face Daniel Dubois by the WBA to retain his belts, while Fury will be free to negotiate with a number of opponents after completing his WBC mandatory defence last year. Fellow British star Joyce currently holds WBO mandatory status and would be next in line to face the Ukrainian after Dubois' shot.

And 'The Juggernaut' believes he would be in a position for a domestic clash once he has touched gloves with Zhilei Zhang on April 22. "Is it off or on? I am here and Fury said he wants to fight me so that would be a great summer fight," Joyce told Mirror Fighting in an exclusive chat. "It would be great after I fight Zhang if the Usyk fight doesn't happen.

"I have always said I want to fight Fury and now he has been saying he wants to fight me. I back myself to beat anyone and Fury I have sharred the ring with in sparring and I think it was 50/50 during the rounds. We did good work and I think on the main stage we would up our levels and it would be a great fight.

"Fury said he would like that fight and I am the number two heavyweight so I will beat up Zhang back in London town, and then I am hoping I will be back out here to train [US] to take on Fury."

Joyce is set to face heavyweight rival Zhang next having recently beaten Joseph Parker to ensure that he remains a leading contender in the division. Fury came face-to-face with his stablemate under Frank Warren after beating Derek Chisora late last year, and the pair talked up a fight while stood next to Usyk.

And promoter Lou DiBella has insisted that Joyce would provide a tougher test for the WBC champion than Usyk. He told SecondsOut : "[Joyce] reminds me of the second coming of George Foreman. I consider that a great compliment. "Usyk is a better boxer than virtually everyone. In the heavyweight division, it’s a big gap with most but the gap with Fury is the smallest with Usyk.

"That says to me that Fury is the most difficult fight in the world for Usyk. Joe Joyce, it’s hard to hurt the guy. He’s a freaking monster. He’s got these short, heavy hands. You can see the punches coming and he’s still going to hurt you. He’s relentless."

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...5df2291&ei=124