Joseph Obey Joyce vs. Zhāng Zhìlěi & Denzel Bentley vs. Kieran Smith RBR.

That is pathetic.

 

Rematch is pointless and will only end Joyce's career the same way AJ losing to usyk twice did.

Do a fury, be smart and swerve it and go another route.

Joyce can't change his style he's going to get hit a lot he has to choose who to get hit a lot from.

He's come up against a veteran southpaw who has been fighting orthodox fighters all his life. One who bizarrely until recently has managed to fly under thr radar. He came in light and looked to box with a superior boxer. By the time he realised he had to close the distance it was too late and he was giving away too much size to inflict his will.

Joyce makes up for his slow head movement and lack of defence with his size, strength, reach, stamina chin and physicality. He has none of those advantages against zhang, as soon as he stepped in the ring he looked the smaller, weaker fighter.

 

Well what can I say I was wrong in my prediction. I thought Joyce would easily beat Zhang, I couldn't believe anyone was picking against Joyce but goes to show even with a granite chin you can still get stopped by the doctor.
But my take from it is Joyce carnt handle southpaw he was eating massive lefts all night long and at this level you carnt get away with using your face as your defence, even when the eye started to close he still walked forward throwing shots without moving his head.
If he is to take up the ridiculous rematch clause he really need to sort that out but at his age its not going to happen.
Good entertaing fight though and it was a win for boxing.
Or it could make it even worse with even more people sitting on rankings not making dangerous fights.

 

Zhang did similar to what he did against Hrgovic - slowed down by the middle of the fight and going with his big head forward, the guy is brave, can't deny him that. There was no damage on his face which means Joyce did nothing.

What did Joyce do wrong - everything as his style is wrong. Always slow, always one-dimensional taking so many power punches, his head was tilting back several times per round. The guy has extremely low ring IQ and is unable to move his head. He should've been more cautious for the first few round right because Zhang is getting tired in which indeed happened and by the 5th Joyce started to be the more active fighter, but it was too late, even that he was still seeing with his eye (he was able to see the two doctor's fingers).

Saying it again: this is shameful loss to the overhyped Joyce and finally. It was getting tiring to read "Joyce will do this to Wilder", "Joyce will do that to Fury" - he can do nothing and that's what he did tonight. He has few decent, but not great wins and that's all. He even got a little gift from the referee in the second round. Zhang was unable to beat Jerry Forrest, for f*** sake, even after having him dropped three times in the fight - that's pathetic. The Chinese is a tough guy with hard punches, but that's all he is.

 

Mentioned a clause last night

 

Gutted for Joyce but also please for Zhang who was excellent and fully deserved his win. As soon as that eye started swelling early on then the fight was over really and it was just a matter of time.

Don't see much point in a rematch. Styles make fights and hard hitting southpaws are always going to cause Joe problems on the evidence of last night. He couldn't get his jab going and was eating that left all night. And despite recovering his legs there's no way he was ever gonna go long in that fight.

Still think there's some great fights for him where he could still pull out a big win but sadly I doubt he'll get an opportunity against the top guys now.

 

Queensbury were never going to relinquish their mandatory position voluntarily.

they have zhang for a furthe 2/3 fights. The rematch if he loses he will be released if he wins they hold him for the mandatory position.

the biggest question I would be asking if I was Joyce is why Dubois despite the win is being pushed better by Queensbury. According to Queensbury Joyce was WBO mandatory since that win. And he would have been pushing Dillian Whyte territories to get called over 3 years later.

if I was Joyce and if Dubois doesn’t take the Usyk fight I’d be all over that rematch As that mandatory will come quicker

 

A number of fights between Joyce, Joshua, Dubois, Bakole would be of high interest to the British Boxing fans.

All four fighters would believe they would win and come with ambition.

Did not include Whyte or Chisora as they are glorified journeymen or Fury as sick of the Ducker.

 

To your question, it's all about the benjamins.

 

Usyk is years ahead of Zhang.

 

Might as well lock the thread after this post that nailed it!!!

 

I agree but personally would put Wardley in there as AJ is on a different path and none of those fights bring mega PPV money or belts etc. I agree would be fun though

 

Agree to be noticeably slower than zhang is some going.

he couldn’t work out the southpaw stance and it’s known zhang is only lively for the first 4/5 rounds afterwards he’s blowing big time. Joyce never had the movement or footwork to move on the back foot until zhang tired out.

got to feel sorry for Joyce as he’s actually earnt a shot and big payday but unless he wins the rematch it’s going to be miles off

 

Exactly. The opposition Joe Joyce faced inside 15 fights as a non title holder puts the big boys to shame. Meanwhile Fury has fought Wilder and Whyte since beating Wlad a decade ago.

 

That would be great fun. Fury would get a visa for China a lot more easily than the US (and that's saying something).