Joe Joyce has made a bold move by invoking a clause for a rematch against Zhilei Zhang. In their previous encounter, the British heavyweight, famously known as ‘The Juggernaut,’ was unexpectedly defeated by Zhang. Who secured a sixth-round technical knockout.
The defeat was compounded by a gruesome eye injury suffered by Joyce during the bout.
Unfortunately, as a consequence of the loss, Joyce no longer holds the WBO ‘interim’ belt. Consequently, his opportunity for a world title shot against unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk may have slipped away.
‼️ Joe Joyce has now activated his rematch clause to fight Zhilei Zhang again next, his manager Adam Morallee has confirmed. This means Joyce would now have to agree to step aside if Tyson Fury vs Zhang is to happen next. [@MikeCoppinger]
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) May 8, 2023
However, Joe is determined to regain his position on the ladder to a world title and seek redemption against his adversary, the hard-hitting ‘Big Bang’ Zhang. By pursuing the rematch, Joyce aims to rectify his previous defeat and inch closer to another shot at the prestigious world title.
Shane Watson, the manager of Joe, conveyed:
“The first fight was what it was. Joe knows how to put it right.
“We spoke about an interim fight but Joe made it clear he wanted the rematch as soon as possible and this shows how Joe will take any top heavyweight on at anytime.”
Following their initial encounter, the ringside doctor advised halting the first bout due to Joyce’s right eye being completely swollen shut as a result of a significant blow from his 40-year-old opponent, Zhilei Zhang.
Joe Joyce plans to take revenge for his defeat
With Zhang’s victory, he now finds himself potentially in a favorable position to face either Oleksandr Usyk or WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. However, before such opportunities can materialize, Zhang will first be obligated to face Joyce in the rematch. As the rematch clause has been activated.
Despite the setback, boxing promoter George Warren remains hopeful and optimistic that Joe will have the chance to participate in significant fights in the near future.
Warren believes that Joyce’s skill and determination will eventually lead him to high-profile matchups in the heavyweight division.
During an interview conducted just two days after the fight, he revealed:
“It will be a big fight again but if it isn’t that fight Joe will be in big fights, Zhilei will be in big fights.
“There’s so much activity at heavyweight and this is what it’s all about. We wanna see fights where you don’t know the outcome and that’s what we got on Saturday.”
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