WBO interim heavyweight champion Zhilei “Big Bang” Zhang (26-1-1, 21 KOs) brutally knocked out “Juggernaut” Joe Joyce (15-2, 14 KOs) in round three on Saturday night at the OVA Arena in London. Zhang landed some hard shots in round two, then laid out Joyce with a flush right hand in round three. Joyce went down face first. Time was 3:07.
After the fight, Zhang asked the crowd, “Do you want to see me shut up Tyson Fury?”
Two-time light heavyweight world title challenger Anthony Yarde (24-3, 23 KOs) destroyed late sub Jorge Silva (22-9, 12 KOs) in round two. Heavy-handed Yarde pummeled Silva to the canvas and the bout was stopped.
Super middleweight Zach Parker (23-1, 17 KOs) was victorious when Khalid Graidia (10-13-4, 2 KOs) didn’t come out for round eight. Parker was rebounding from a loss to John Ryder 10 months ago.
Unbeaten super lightweight Pierce O’Leary (13-0, 7 KOs) hammered out a ten round unanimous decision over durable Kane Gardner (16-3, 7 KOs). Scores were 100-90, 99-92, 99-92.
Im sure Zach Parker will now be Canelos next opponent, after this great win. And Benavidez, Bivol and Andrade will continue to be ducked
Why do say Parker had a great win?
Garbage under card
I agree, very stagnant on action. Much of the fights were tune ups with predictable endings.
The funny thing is, every other top heavyweight beats Zhang easy, he’s a face-first always-tired hands-low heavyweight. But Joyce ended up an even worse fighter somehow, pushing his punches and acting half-awake.
Once you get hit in chin it’s never the same
Want to see Zhang fight usyk and ko him
I’d like to see Zhang face Wilder or Ruiz……then he can talk about facing Fury much less beating him.
Really so the not yet great Fury , is so great he should continue with MMA fighter as Zhang ain’t worthy yet !
This is the exact reason TF as conned so many like you .
He is the modern day John L Sullivan. I bet Uysk fights all the top Heavy’s while TF does nothing but talk . We all love Fury or used too.
Did you even watch the fight?
?
Ds who are you asking?
Common sense when you get hit a lot your chin gets weak as time goes on
Do you understand boxing or fighting at all?
Many people on this thread are likely “punch drunk”.
I agree with you, Joyce is now damaged goods. I never thought he was a good heavyweight, too slow and lumbering.
As for Zhang, he made a believer out of me but I think he needs a couple more good wins against top level opponents to be considered a top tier heavyweight.
A win against Jared Anderson, Wilder or Ruiz would definitely make a Fury matchup very very interesting.
I was responding to moonmuppet.
Who beats Zhang easy? Go on. Who?????
He knocked Hrgovic down twice who got suspiciously gifted a win versus the badly-dehydrated, stumbling Zhang, whose kidneys were failing in the last half of the fight! Most boxing pundits felt that Zhang still won the fight and hotly disputed the result v Hrgovic – his ONLY “loss”.
Big Bang should fight Hrgovic next. Hrgovic is a candy ass. Speaking of candy asses. Have Big Bang fight Jared Anderson. If anyone deserves to get fked up, it’s that punk.
Care to explain what it is exactly that makes jared Anderson a “punk”?
Who beats Zhang easily?
We don’t know, that’s why we want to see him face Wilder, Ruiz, Anderson or Joshua.
Then Fury or Ursyk.
Fury, wilder, ruiz, usyk all beat Zhang easily.
He’s too old and slow.
He koncked down Hrgovic once not twice. Fight was close, wasn’t a gift. Zhan gave to many rounds to Hrgovic. He suffered kidney failure before fight against Hrgovic. To many false facts in your comment.
Agree Foreign Spy….Zhang can fight …boxing IQ very high..very underrated..The patience ..poise…..punch combos….timing…. footwork…. actually punched with Joyce… Anderson would be an excellent Match up….Crossroads fight for both
m00nmuppet, can you do us all a favor? A very big favor.
Fly to NJ and ask Mr. Zhang if you can box him for just 3 rounds, and see how tough he is. Come on, Champ. I am sure you are all that and a bag of chips.
Mr. Muppet, the champ who’s boss. Then if you are lucky enough to survive the experience, show us all the MRI reports.
We could use a good laugh.
I don’t think anyone here wants you to speak for them, you ignorant big mouthed punk.
Lots of Chinese trolls in here hopefully this clown gets beat soon
Zhang is for real!!
Yup. He’s weirdly awkward with his southpaw power punching. He seems to defy age as he appears to be getting better. Fury would make a killing fighting this guy, but Zhang is dangerous.
Zhang is from a tyrannical communist dictatorship set on world domination…..brings back memories of USSR and East German “super athletes”.
Wouldn’t put it past him and his training staff to have juiced up, everybody knows you can find a way around banned substance tests.
that would be the US
Dear God, man. The guy lives in New Jersey. He gets the same drug tests everyone else gets.
You are a moron.
Juan, Zhang does not look like a super athlete. Everyone just pump the brakes for a bit. Zhang just might get exploited by a quicker counter punching H/W. And the top 10 @ heavyweight is littered with these types. Let’s weight and see cause he is not going to find anymore slower than Joyce, or him for that matter. As they were the slowest of all top heavyweights. Let wait this one out before annointing Zhang a juicer or super USSR type of super athlete.
Well in that case, if he fight Fury, both of them are likely juiced.
I told you MFs this would happen. I said it. Zhang in 3. Many of you thought I was nuts. Well, who was spread on the canvas like a blanket on the bed.
Lekaren,Even an ugly guy gets lucky sometimes. Did you want a pat on the back?
Just cuz your pick was right does not mean you are not nuts. And why are you always angry or upset laKaren.
Fury should fight Zhang or STFU.
Talk about $$$$$$$$. Fight Zhang in Macao, make two hundred bazillion dollar and have 2 billion viewers.
Zhang should fight Wilder or STFU.
lol… Wilder doesn’t fight anyone, let alone a legit guy. He’s fought once in, what, the last two years? Zhang’s a veritable action machine compared to Wilder.
Time was 3:07? Here’s me thinking the rounds go for 3 minutes.
Could a fighter be saved by the bell in this fight?
The count continues after the bell and it was 7 seconds after the round ended when the ref waived it off. Pretty basic.
I thought so too
No need to be a dick about it mate. I thought once the bell sounded that was it, the ref calls it or the fighter goes back to his corner.
Just depend on the commissions
I guess time of rounds was added in this weekends fights bcz Kyoguchi also stopped his opponent at 3:9
“You cant be saved by the bell, including the 12th and final round” one of previous HBO boxings classic lines harold lederman used to say at the beginning of major fights.
Not surprised by the end result seeing Joyce came into the fight with more blubber than the first fight. Zhang has far better boxing skills, my main concerns with him is his stamina and his age. The past comparisons of Joyce to Big George Foreman is laughable.
Or any other current HW compared to the skilled, well conditioned HWs of the past. Could you imagine how badly Ali would have slapped around the slow, clumsy Fury?
Lol… good luck. And the ‘72 Dolphins would win the Super Bowl, right? Some boxing fans have the most warped versions of nostalgia.
Boxing was a major sport 50 years ago with a LOT more gyms, fighters and fights held. It’s now a fringe sport with very little participation, very few gyms and very few fights held. You can’t have more talent when there are so few people even aware of the sport. When I was on scholl we actuallyhadvoxing in gym classes and college boxing teams were common.
Football is a lot more popular now with more participation and and greater funding. Non the ’72 Dolphins couldn’t beat the current Chiefs.
This is basic common sense but my guess is the few younger people who follow boxing now don’t understand how popular the sport used to be.
Yeah, I’m not new school. I remember the wars in middle and welterweights in the 80s. But you didn’t have enormous, technically skilled heavyweights until the last 20 years or so. George Foreman is often cited as an example of a big heayweight from the 70s, but he’s barely bigger than Usyk. The game has changed, and size most definitely matters. More than likely, the guys keep getting bigger. It’s very difficult for a 6’2″ guy to attack a 6’8″ guy. It doesn’t mean the smaller fighter is going to lose, or that every enormous fighter is automatically great. But it completely changes the game. Ali would have to routinely fight guys 6’6″ 250+ in the modern World. He may beat some, but not all. He’d never be a long-reigning dominant champ in modern boxing. His talent would get him across the finish line sometimes, but he’d lose a lot more than just the 5 that were on his record.
Another thing to note… you are speaking from an American-centric point of view. Where did nearly every good heavyweight come from until Lennox came? Almost every one was from the US. The game is international now. The good Eastern Euro amateurs from that era never went pro. Obviously, there are still some magically good American fighters, but they have to globetrot now because other parts of the World are producing top-end talent too.
Sorry, no disrespect at all to the legendary Ali, but he’s not “slapping around” Fury. The fact that you called Fury slow and clumsy just proves you don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.
Fury is neither slow nor clumsy.
Fury is most definitely slow and clumsy as hell. He’s been boxing since he was 10, so he also has some elite skills. but, he arguably got ko’d three times against wilder, a guy with far less experience, far less size and very limited skillset. and it’s really all because wilder has quickness and power and fury moves around the ring like swampthing.
Did not think it would be this easy. Why Joyce came in at a career high weight of 281 for the rematch only him and Salas would probably know.
Joe needs to consider retirement. Like I said, Zhang would seek, dominate and destroy Joe the 2nd time around.
Too bad Zhang is coming into his own at 40. I’d love to see him silence Anderson!
Anderson fights nothing like Joyce and would be a very difficult fight for Zhang.
Anderson and Joyce have one thing in common, they both get hit a lot. Anderson’s boys won’t chance a fight with Zhang right now. Maybe when he’s 43, after a few losses!
Nah, Anderson will get absolutely obliterated by Zhang
Complete waste of a night.
Zhang would have fought a real fight against a top guy.
And Joyce holds up the division for this un necessary rematch….
Joyce wasn’t considered a bum until, perhaps, now.
As predicted….Joe Joyce should retire. Fast tracked and found out at a higher level. Reminds me of a British boxer from yesteryear in Audley Harrison
Wow just like that Joyce is done.
The Blubbernaut is finished, nowhere for him to go now after being big banged tfo back to back
I’ll bet the “Blubbernaut” is a champion bodybuilder compared to most people commenting on here.
There is one true heavyweight champ and that’s Usyk. Fury is ducking him and fighting a UFC guy. Usyk has great movement and would stop Zhang.
Fury fought Wilder 3 times. He ain’t ducking Usyk.
Zhang is just fun to watch he is enjoy his career I can a a fight against Real Big Baby and one entertaining bout, make that fight next Arum
As I said in a previous post Zhilei will repeat and sooner
Joyce going down the same path as Adam Kownacki.
Zhang turned Joyce over a few months ago as we all know ……All credit to Joyce for taking the immediate return but the first fight was clearly no fluke. Hard to see a future for Joyce beyond European level after this
Well, I happily eat my crow as I was picking Joyce. Zhang is no joke. Frankly, I’m surprised Joyce got up from that right hook as most guys would’ve been headed straight to the hospital.
Congrats to zhang! Well done. Now please whoop fury or fight wilder! Those would be good fights….
Joyce? Pshhh!! 25 lbs fatter? No serious training? Stupid AF.
Zhang has done well, def the truth. Fury watch out.
Agree with you Roy this guy can punch in combinations, he is very dangerous but a bit slow in my opinion..
Joyce is an absolute stiff. One of the worst supposed top 10 heavyweights I’ve ever had the misfortune to observe. He makes Michael Grant look like Muhammad Ali.
Called it. Was anyone surprised by this outcome? I want to see Zhang vs Fury next year! That’s a real fight
Gaining 25lbs = I’m not going to train.
Zhang next opponent should be Joshua, Ruiz, or Wilder. Beat any of them it should be Fury or Usyk for championship.
I called it. As soon as I saw Joyce at his career high in weight I knew he would get starched again.
Zhang is a though MF.
He deserves all respect and I have no problem watching him against Fury.
I have never been impressed with Joyce. He’s a pathetic fighter. Very one-dimensional. Not very active, not much variety in his punch selection. He sticks out that left as a weak jab, then drops his left arm after throwing it. Little lateral movement. He throws predictable punches, never doubles up on his shots, never puts together a combination more than two punches. I was hoping Zhang would do just what he did, land that right hand from his southpaw stance with Joyce’s left down low. Be interesting what Zhang does going forward.
Actually and Surprisingly… LexusNexus…Joyce looked better in this fight than in the past despite the outcome ….Joyce mechanics are bad…Tim Bradley pointed it out….when Joyce was knocked out ..Joyce was throwing a punch with his back on the ropes…while squared up…can’t do that against a fighter with a high boxing IQ…One of those…”when you see this happen ..throw this punch…”. Don’t have to put a lot of power behind the shot…the technique of the punch along with the mistake of the fighter …will be the power…in this fight it was the back against the ropes …while squaring up…got Joyce a face plant….Zhang too intelligent for that…Zhang just turned that hook over….game over….Prior to that Joyce actually look better…except as Bradley pointed out…the squaring up….180 degrees..no angles….
Gotta love Zhang. Pro debut at the age of 29, and now at the age of 40 one of the hottest names in the heavyweight division.
One thing about the broadcast… I’ve always liked Tim Bradley as a fighter and especially as a commentator. “Joyce looks like he’s trained by a mechanic or something.” Also said how flawed he is and some of his skills (can’t remember what he mentioned) are terrible. Weell, I agree he’s not perfect at any sector, but come on. Guy is still olympic silver medalist and ranked top-10 by Boxrec. What JJ ever did to you, Timbo? Took a crap on your lawn or something…?
Zhang unleashed a brutal right hand on Joyce that would have stopped most opponents. Powerful and bang on the button, Joyce didn’t even see it coming. i believe Joe can rebuild and come back, but he has to go back to the drawing board and work on his defence. Zhang is in pole position now for a shot at both Usyk and Fury, and for me he gives both of them a tough night at the least, and potentially beats them. Although i would favour both of them over Zhang. you could not rule out a Zhang victory.
Rematch wasn’t necessary..
Joyce had his strategy backwords in both fights. First bout: He came in light and tried to out muscle Zhang. Second fight: He came in heavy and attempted to use more movement to avoid heavy shots.
Fool zang only lost one fight
Zhang wilder at Madison sq garden being that he’s from Jersey or Zhang Joshua in Wembley…those would be entertaining ..heavyweights are for knockouts ..let hrgovic fight usyk in a fight I care less about
Is Zhang that good or is Joyce that bad? Time will tell, and Zhang doesn’t have much left at 40.
Both. Zhang is a good but not great fighter. He will lose to fury, wilder, usyk, joshua, and anderson.
This will be his best win. He needs to cash out with a big money fight next because the losing streak to end his career is coming as he steps up in competition.
I think both are underrated and that Joyce’s style fits Zhang like a glove.
Joyce vs big baby to fight for the 100th rank spot in the heavyweight division next to andy ruiz! So much expected from this dudes but, couldn’t deliver!
By the time he gets a shot at Fury, he will be 100 years old, lol!
This guy beats Fury he is a great combination puncher ! Very impressive win but he is a bit slow..
Joyce looked as though he never fought a southpaw before. Incredible how he never threw any lead right hands, even after he saw he couldn’t land a jab…I was surprised.
Zhang is a dangerous heavyweight avoided by most, credit to Joyce for not ducking him, but it cost him big time.
Anderson is a hype job just like Wilder and Zhang would KO both of them, but loses to Fury and Usyk.
Some people on here have mentioned ” Even European level”, the Europeans are the best heavyweights in the world, just look at Fury and Usyk.