Both Zhilei Zhang and Joe Joyce weighed in heavier than they did for their first fight five months ago. Zhang added 9 pounds, while Joyce bulked up a whopping 25 pounds. Both were at career highs.
Zhilei Zhang 287 vs. Joe Joyce 281.2
(WBO interim heavyweight title)
Anthony Yarde 177.9 vs. Jorge Silva 178
Pierce O’Leary 139.3 vs. Kane Gardner 139.6
Zach Parker 170.9 vs. Khalid Graidia 168
Moses Itauma 237.9 vs. Amine Boucetta 296
Ezra Taylor 176 vs. Joel McIntrye 178.2
Royston Barney-Smith 131.6 vs. Engel Gomez 132
Aloys Youmbi 203.1 vs. Eric Nazarayan 203.7
Tommy Fletcher 199.2 vs. Alberto Tapia 197.5
Sean Noakes 151.7 vs. Lukasz Barabasz 154
Venue: OVO Arena, London, England
Promoter: Queensberry
TV: ESPN+ (US), TNT Sports (UK)
Sumo time?
whoa this is going to be a good fight.. up for grabs for sure!
Repeat for Zhilei and sooner than 6 round from 1st fight.
Zhang was usually in the 250 to 265 range, most of his career, till about 5 fights ago. Now he is 287 and 40.
Joyce needs to throw jabs to the head, and not stay stationary. Now he is a 280 pounder too.
At least the fight is on ESPN+ (where the Crawford vs Spence rematch should be)
Everyone said Joyce was far too light in the first fight so he put on weight and it looks like Zhang knew he would put on weight so he went up as well.
Hope they both didn’t go too far. If they did, after two or three rounds, this could be absolutely AWFUL to watch! Might be the heaviest fight between actual world class fighters I’ve ever seen.
It could be awful, but I doubt it. Joyce isn’t lightning fast, so adding some poundage likely doesn’t hurt him. Frankly, he looks good. As long as he can go rounds, the extra weight probably helps him. He’s not super mobile, and keeps his feet planted. He’s never been light on his toes, and it works for him. I’ll take Joyce to win the he rematch as I think this weight suits him.
Valuev came up in my mind…..Valuev vs McCline was also a fight between two HEAVY boxers. Maybe on par with this one? Or even heavier?
No way Joyce is quicker carrying an extra 25 pounds.
Well Joyce looks heavier but stronger as well
There is a big diference from 25 lbs of fat to 25 lbs of muscle and protein
So Joyce might be faster if that weight was coming from hard training
Well, we’ll find out soon enough if the extra weight is beneficial or not. While I accept extra muscle can make you stronger and possibly more resilient, I don’t see how it can make him faster. Zhang definitely outsped Joyce in the first fight.
No reason for Joyce to compete on speed. Frankly, I think this is the next evolution of boxing. 20 years ago, fighters kept seeming to get taller. All the top guys (mostly) are 6’4” and up. I think the next move is guys getting more muscular.
Brainchild…agree that heavyweight…are unusually tall… however Mike Tyson, Joe Frazier and Rocky Marciano….proved that height is not an issue in that weight class….maybe relevant..but most important attribute needed,.. timing beats physical attributes…
muscularly could actually affect the flexibility of a fighter….have to be in “shape” doesn’t equate always to solid muscle mass…look at Fury… Fury not most defined body…but in shape and can fight like a lightweight his boxing ability…the slipping of punches…rolling of shoulder…flexible…smooth..with a tire around his waist….this guy can fight…results build credibility….Frank Bruno and Marvin Hagler were fighters that were gifted with body tone and flexibility…I think what people are saying is Joyce was already challenged in the speed area…”slow” dammit…how can the extra weight help…
Was hoping Joyce comes in heavier, stronger, like in the Parker fight at 271, and not the 256 like the first Zhang fight, but not 281! From one extreme to the other. Now I’m not so sure about my prediction that Joyce is going to be improved and better in this fight. Maybe stronger, but at the cost of how much speed and how many rounds before he has nothing left in the tank?
I never understood why HW boxers on the losing end think bulking up will help them. In theory, extra weight behind the punches. Deontay Wilder bulked up from 212 to 232 against Tyson Fury and it hurt him. I figured Joyce would want to be lighter so he can stick & move. One doesn’t need to be heavier to have power. David Haye rocked 7ft 328lbs Nicoli Valuev who had a 99lbs weight advantage. I think he’s making a big mistake with the extra weight and he’s going to get caught again, but we’ll see.
Agreed. The heavier weight gives you a bit more punch resistance. But it takes away speed and most likely stamina.
So i think Joyce will last longer but get hit more than the first fight unless he can simply overpower Zhang.
SteveG …heavier weight …make you more punch resistance… interesting…Will be looking at that I’m my film study of fights… interesting
Will say that Joyce could have been drained if Joyce had to lose weight to get in “condition” and the first fight maybe coming in at a more natural weight…which maybe higher than the last fight…would help in this fight…but…WE WILL SEE TODAY….
hawnJay, that’s the thing, some heavyweights are worse when they pick up weight, definitely Wilder was, then some are better, like with Fury.
Clearly, Ruiz falls in the “better when lighter” category. But Fury is an example. Weight isn’t always a bad thing, even when it’s not muscle weight. Fat is a reservoir that can be tapped for stamina. This is well known as a fact of physiology. It’s why you see these marathoners with skinny little bodies and beer guts.
James Tony was also that way. Fury and Tony could get away with it because they often had superior skills most heavyweights we’re not use to seeing. While they were not classically “in-shape” they were always in fight shape. Those two could weight 400 lbs and still be effective in the ring.
Looking forward to this one. I think the result will be similar as first fight
I’m faster now when I weigh 230 lbs than when I used to weight 210 lbs
So being heavier does not mean you will be slower
As long as the weigh is in muscle
In your dreams
Not necessarily fiction. Ask players in the NFL if lesser weights equal lesser speed. You’ll hear no over and over. I asked my buddy what the biggest difference was between college and NFL ball (I clearly never made it to pro ball) and he said it isn’t the speed. Every college team has 4.4 guys. It’s the enormous guys who run 4.6 and hit you like a freight train. You don’t see 240 pound linebackers that run like that in college. Speed + size kills.
25lbs? Damn, look what a 30lb costume did to wilder with just an entrance walk. Zhang wins again with a stoppage.
It will be great for boxing to have a Chinese heavyweight champion. Two billion Chinese people worldwide will become huge boxing fans!
It’ll never happen. Fury is too skilled and If Zhang catches Usky with a bodyshot…. well we know what happens there.
And boxing absolutely needs AT LEAST one more super heavy weight class!
Move all weight classes up one notch and make cruiserweight end at 215. Problem solved. There’s no reason to have weight classes below about 112, since only about 0.5% of the male population weighs below 112.
Nobody cares about cruiserweight-they all eventually want to be heavyweight champion.
That hasn’t always been the case. Cruiserweight was a hot division at one time with likes of James Tony, Vassiliy Jirov, Evander Holyfield and Dwight Muhammad Qawi
Because seventeen weight classes isn’t enough?
Big Bang will beat Joe Joyce in 3 rounds.
“Big Bang will beat Joe Joyce in 3 rounds.”
Damn! Why did you have to tell us? There’s no point even watching it now.
Joe Joyce,heavier,slower, and no defence…same result .
Joyce bigger stronger and faster
Joyce Tko late rounds
I miss Butterbean.
Joyce better move his head or Zhang will (re)move it for him. He can’t expect to take that punishment with no effort to evade or mitigate it.
Dude holding the belt looks like zelensky. Thought he was begging for money in USA?
I was surprised that Joyce handed the initiative so easily to Zhang in the first fight.
If he does it again, it doesn’t matter how much he’s built up his body.
Joyce needs to pressure Zhang, but even if he manages to do so, he has his upright style and easy hitting head.
A tall fighter like Zhang is surely thankful for that.
If Joyce manages to survive to the later rounds, he might have a chance.
A tired Zhang, and a Joyce who regains confidence. That’s his only chance as I see it.
Watch for an adverse finding on Joyce after this fight.
Is this the heaviest combined weight for a fight? There will be seven less movement than the first fight. Joyce is going to move straight forward as he has in the past. Zhang can repeat if he catches Joyce by firing off of angles. I’m going with Zhang again.