When Immediate Rematches Backfire - Anthony Joshua and Joe Joyce

The British promoters love to put rematch clauses in nearly all their fights.

They're basically pressured into it because it's in the contract. They don't have to take a rematch, but the pressure is there and if they don't take it, it makes them look like they're scared.

Joyce definitely should have taken a different route. AJ was more effective in the rematch, and I can see why he took the rematch.

 

Taking the rematches were the right decision, but the fighter is supposed to deliver, which unfortunately Joshua and Joyce just didn't. A promoter can only do so much.

Joshua wasn't aggressive enough in the rematch. If Joshua would've went to the body more and pushed for the knockout he might've won, but hesitating and playing it safe got him the same result as the first fight.

Joyce coming in completely out of shape and once again unprepared for the rematch was disappointing. He again looked completely puzzled on how to fight a southpaw and after two rounds showed he was afraid to let his right hand go, which resulted in Zhang moving in for the kill.

 

Someone teach Brits a new strategy, cuz this ain't working. And on top of all that, Zhang is Joe's new father, so poor Joe's gotta learn his new family tree on top of losing a big fight.

 

JJ was doing well in round 1. He was moving away from the power hand and not making himself such a big target.

I think the weight gain done him in. He was never fleet footed but today he was less so.

 

He was only doing well because Zhang wasn't throwing. Once Zhang started throwing it was evident that Joyce had no answer.

 

You forgot David Price vs. TT.

I don't know the British mentality, maybe the promoters were worried that their own fans would judge the fighters for not taking the rematches after losing.

 

This. Assuming Joe could have repeated this for 5 more rounds, he may have had a much better chance against Zhang. But Zhang didn't lie when he said he was coming for a KO and not leave it in the judges' hands.

 

He was a bit impatient, he wanted to fire and gave ZZ the range and distancing for ZZ to fire his shots. That said, I guess it was inevitable because JJ's shots weren't hurting ZZ.

 

Some more truth right there. Yeah, he should have stuck to the gameplan and stayed patient. But it seems he thought because Zhang didn't throw in Round 1, that maybe he could have some success offensively in Round 2 vs. Zhang. It was the beginning of the end.

 

I don't think many expected either one to win the rematch. Business will be business.

 

No coincidence that both Joshua and Joyce are Glass Jawed.

 

it’s pure arrogance by the likes of Hearn and Warren

“oh our lad could not possibly be inferior to this foreigner we cherrypicked, it was a lucky punch/eye injury, all he needs to do is make adjustments and become a completely different fighter to how he was before, and he’ll avenge it”

the irony is that when they get beat twice in a row, their careers are shortened raher than extended. they pay for their privilege.

 

I think Joshua was right to take an immediate rematch he came in with a better gameplan and performed better.

Joyce is far too one dimensional and slow and hasn't got the skillset to make drastic changes in such a short time, so it did seem a bit baffling to take an immediate rematch.

 

Yeah they were a mistake and Spence should take note. It's one thing if the first fight is close but if it was one sided then the chances of reversing an emphatic loss so quickly is unlikely. Even someone as great as Barrera couldn't do when he lost back to back to Junior Jones.

I get why these fighters wanted a rematch so quickly they wanted to regain lost prestige and prove they were better and ease their bruised egos, but thinking with ones heart and not your head is a mistake. If these promoters have to put in a rematch clause then give the winner 12 months to trigger the rematch so both fighters can move on, give the loser at least a chance to work on their flaws and the winner to capitalise on their success without being tied down in their next fight, so the division can move on and not be held up by what is a pointless rematch at that point because we all know the outcome.