Tonight, Zhilei Zhang stunned the boxing world after Joy Joyce’s streak of pro boxing victories came to an end at the hands of the Chinese heavyweight monster. Zhang, though, is not finished and plans to go after tougher opponents like Oleksandr Usyk.
Zhang and Joyce fought in a dramatic heavyweight bout at the Copper Box Arena in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Hackney Wick. The high-voltage match concluded in the sixth round when Joyce took a significant eye strike.
NEVER SAY NEVER.
The underdog Zhilei Zhang gets it done đ„ pic.twitter.com/gV4rR6pElN
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) April 15, 2023
Juggernaut had no choice but to disappoint the home crowd due to suffering serious eye swelling caused by Big Bang’s strength, which compelled the referee to stop the game right away. Londoners witnessed the Chinese heavyweight boxers’ might against one of their finest.
What did Zhilei Zhang say about fighting Oleksandr Usyk next?
Zhang was viewed as the underdog before facing one of his greatest challenges to date because Joyce had never lost in professional boxing. The Briton had a 15-fight winning streak, making him a clear favorite to take down ‘Big Bang’.
Zhilei Zhang pulls off the upset victory over Joe Joyce with a dominant performance that ends in a 6th round stoppage đ„ pic.twitter.com/WSd3afcUrq
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) April 15, 2023
However, it was one of those boxing nights where a less-favored boxer surprised everyone and proved that winning in the ring is all about giving the best on a particular day. The newly crowned WBO interim heavyweight champion now claims to have higher aspirations.
âToday is mine. It belongs to every Chinese person who showed up. Iâm 39 but Iâm disciplined and I trained hard. My next step is to go for the title.â said Zhang.
Chinaâs Zhilei Zhang sets sights on Ukraineâs heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk after beating Britainâs Joe Joyce https://t.co/ISf2ngd38G pic.twitter.com/3GwA51p3oR
— AJE Sport (@AJE_Sport) April 16, 2023
By stating that his next goal is to win the title, Zhang is obviously referring to Oleksandr Usyk as his next target. Usyk has not fought since August 2022 after defeating Anthony Joshua. The undefeated heavyweight fighter’s fight against Tyson Fury to start the year is now in jeopardy.
https://youtu.be/WBk_8Nvcms0
Do you believe Zhilei Zhang would make the ideal summer matchup for Oleksandr Usyk? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section.
