Putney heavyweight Joe Joyce vows to bounce back from losing WBO Interim title

BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Joe “Juggernaut” Joyce has vowed to bounce back from losing his WBO Interim heavyweight title last weekend.

The 37-year-old’s decision to make a maiden defence against hard-hitting southpaw Zhilei Zhang badly backfired at the Copper Box Arena on Saturday.

Joyce was hurt in the early stages with the Chinese challenger able to land a steady stream of shuddering left hands.

The former Earlsfield ABC amateur, who represented Great Britain at the 2016 Olympics, was not allowed to continue midway through the sixth round due to a grotesquely swollen right eye.

Putney’s Joyce lost for the first time in 16 bouts – all 15 of his other professional outings have been victories.

There is a rematch clause meaning that the deposed champion can go straight back in against Zhang
(25-1-1). But Joyce looked so stiff, ill-prepared and vulnerable that doing it again might be a bad option.

Brixton’s Dillian Whyte was ringside and had stated his desire to take on Joyce this summer before Zhang ripped those plans to shreds.

“I’m disappointed with my performance,” said Joyce. “I couldn’t get out of the way of his left hand.

“I expected to win, like I normally do. He has got an awkward style. I haven’t fought a southpaw for so long, and he is a powerful southpaw at that.

“I’d like to apologise to all the fans and my supporters. I’ll be back – my journey isn’t over. This is a hurdle that I tripped over.”

Queensberry Promotions CEO George Warren, who promote Joyce, denied they had underestimated Zhang. He said: “Joe is at the stage of his career where he was WBO Interim champion – he wants big fights and wants to earn big money.

“For that type of opportunity you need to take on challenges. This was always going to be a challenge.

“No-one underestimated Zhilei Zhang. He is an Olympic silver medallist and a very accomplished fighter – he showed that against Filip Hrgovic.

“Joe has got to decide if he wants to come again, I’m sure he does. We’re still big believers in him. I know he can become a British world champion.

“He just has to decide if he wants to jump straight back in with Zhilei or go another route.

“If you can’t be proud of Joe Joyce then you can’t be a boxing fan. The guy fights with more courage and my hurt than 10 boxers combined, at times. He got caught with too many shots, that was the difference in the fight.”

PICTURES: QUEENSBERRY PROMOTIONS AND PA