Joe Joyce hopeful an impressive win over Zhilei Zhang leads to a big title opportunity
Heavyweight boxing is dominated by three men at the moment: Lineal champion Tyson Fury, the 6-foot-9 Brit who holds the WBC belt; unbeaten unified champion Oleksandr Usyk, who was also once the undisputed cruiserweight champion; and former WBC champion Deontay Wilder, boxing's foremost knockout artist.
But there are a slew of fighters behind them who are hoping to vault into the top level. Joe Joyce might be the best of the rest in terms of the ability to make some noise.
Joyce holds the interim WBO heavyweight title, which means nothing to anyone except his friends and family, but he'll defend it Saturday against China's Zhilei Zhang in London (ESPN+). Joyce is a massive -1100 favorite to win over the 6-foot-6, 278-pound Zhang, a one-time Olympian.
Zhang is 24-1-1 and best known for a unanimous-decision loss to Filip Hrgovic in Saudi Arabia in August. He has been severely undermatched for most of his career, and Hrgovic was by leaps and bounds the best fighter he's faced.
Zhang put up a credible battle, though doing the same against Joyce is another thing entirely.
Joyce, who is 15-0 with 14 KOs as a pro, might well be auditioning for a summer fight against Fury, who couldn't come to terms for a bout with Usyk. While former champion Anthony Joshua mentioned Fury's name after he defeated Jermaine Franklin on April 1, there is almost no chance of putting a fight of that magnitude together so quickly.
Joyce looks like the next best bet, particularly if he puts on a show Saturday. He'd be wise not to overlook Zhang, but the odds aren't far off. Jerry Forrest is a C-level prospect at best, and he fought Zhang to a draw, so it's not as if Zhang is a world-beater.
Joyce didn't have a lot of options, so he accepted the fight with Zhang. When Fury unexpectedly failed to make a deal with Usyk, it put a lot more spotlight on Joyce for this fight.
"All the others seem to be running scared or doing their own thing," Joyce said of his peers at heavyweight. "I want the fights to happen. I get how things work with the governing bodies. And I can only just fight who is put in front of me. So why not fight a good fight and give everyone an entertaining fight against Zhilei Zhang?"
It's a reasonable approach, but the calendar is not Joyce's friend. He's 37 and will turn 38 in September, so he needs to make his move toward the top as quickly as possible.
He's an extraordinarily hard hitter, though he's not nearly as explosive as Wilder. Wilder, though, might be the hardest-hitting heavyweight ever and is for sure the hardest puncher the division has seen since a prime Mike Tyson.
Wilder's power comes from incredible speed and torque. Joyce is slower and more methodical, but his punches are thudding and slow opponents quickly.
Joyce is reminiscent of Hall of Famer George Foreman in the legendary ex-champion's second act. When Foreman ended a 10-year retirement, he was slow as molasses but retained that crushing power and went on to become, at the time, the oldest champion in boxing history.
Joyce isn't going to blind anyone with blazing combinations, but if Zhang attacks like he said he will, he'll need to have great defense and good head movement, or he'll be in for some trouble.
“I’m a tough man," Joyce said. "I started rugby a long time ago. I’ve tried a lot of sports. And I’ve finally found my sport in boxing. And it’s a whole package, all the ingredients that go into making a great champion. That’s what I want to be. And I’m getting close. I have the WBO interim title, but I don’t know how close I am to the world title."
If Joyce finishes Zhang, it would position him well for a bout with Fury. It will also get him directly in Usyk's path.
Both are difficult matches for him for different reasons: Fury is a superb boxer who proved in his trilogy against Wilder that he has a great chin and is as tough as anyone. Usyk is a magnificent boxer and has proven difficult for heavyweights to hit. Usyk also has a world-class chin.
Joyce says he won't look ahead, particularly because Zhang is a southpaw and he rarely sees those. His goal is to put together a comprehensive performance so that he creates public demand for a shot at the title.
"I respect Zhang’s power, and I won’t be going in there recklessly," Joyce said. "He’s a southpaw, too. That’s more of a tricky style than what I’m used to. The last southpaw I fought was Lenroy Thomas in my fourth fight, which was for the Commonwealth title. In history, that was really quick. I’ve only had 15 fights with 14 knockouts. I’m in for some proper fights and will give everyone value for their money.”
