Joe lost to the Chinese in his last fight
British heavyweight Joe Joyce (15-1, 14 KOs) activated a rematch clause with the Chinese boxer Zhang Zhilei (25-1-1, 20 KOs).
“Joyce was eligible for a rematch in one of his next two fights, but decided to do it now. I think he would have won the fight if not for the eye injury. Joe could beat Zhang in the second part of the fight.”
“A rematch with Zhilei is the only option we are currently considering. We will return the debt and continue the campaign for the championship title, ”said Joyce’s manager Adam Morali.
Joyce lost by TKO to Zhilei and lost the interim WBO heavyweight title. In the 6th round, the referee was forced to stop the fight due to a large hematoma around Joe’s right eye. Joyce attributed his loss to being uncomfortable fighting a southpaw.
For Joyce, this is the first defeat in his professional career. And the 39-year-old Zhilei became the interim WBO champion and now claims to fight Oleksandr Usyk.
In turn, Zhang is negotiating with representatives of the WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. Details of the negotiations, as well as the date of a possible duel, were not disclosed.
Source: Sportarena
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
