“Trying to Look Like He Own Joyce”: Fans Make Their Predictions as Final Face-Off Between Joe Joyce and Zhilei Zhang Gets Intense Ahead of Rematch

It was one of the biggest upsets of recent times when Chinese Heavyweight Zhilei Zhang knocked out Joe Joyce on April 15. Most found the latter’s performance subpar and questionable. Subsequently, ‘The Juggernaut’ activated the rematch clause to redeem his name. Finally, the time has come, and the two heavyweights are about to test each other in a few hours. Now fans came across a short clip of their final face-off during the weigh-in.

Both fighters appeared calm. But it was easy to see that Zhang looked heavier than his adversary. As it turned out, while Joe Joyce stood at 281 pounds, Zhang exceeded him by 6 pounds and weighed 287 pounds. From the tone and vibe, it was apparent that many fans wanted Joyce to win this time. But again, quite a few remained skeptical about whether he could pull a reversal.

Zhilei Zhang vs. Joe Joyce II: Boxing fans chip in

Looking at the clip, boxing fans couldn’t stop but share their two cents about the upcoming fight.

While a user feels that the way Zhilei Zhang stood, it appeared as if he had already beaten Joe Joyce, something the user believes might eventually happen. However, somehow, he finds the Briton relying on his weight more in the latest battle. In the previous encounter, he came across as way too light. Hence, he won’t mind giving an edge to Joyce this time. He said, “Buddy trying to look like he [owns] Joyce kinda [feels] like he got Joyce, but I see Joyce more on his weight. This fight didn’t like he came in small last fight, I gotta say Joyce wins.”

The following fan postulates Zhang could ‘throw the match’ to ensure a third fight between the two. Financially, it will be a win-win situation for both camps. The trilogy bout might even be the best, and if Zhang wins, he gets to fight Tyson Fury. The fan said, “Zhang throws the fight for a [the] third fight. Win-win for both sides financially. [The] third fight is the fair one. If Zhang wins, Tyson Fury will fight him instead [of] Usyk.”

The following fan believes Joe Joyce conceded the stare-down first. Hence, he will lose the rematch. He seems unsure about himself: “Since Joyce was the first to give up the stir down, he will [lose]. He is not confident.” Though he wants to put his money on Joyce, the following user remains unsure. He seems suspicious that Zhang might repeat the last -time’s feat. Putting it bluntly, he said that the Briton is a poor boxer. On the other hand, Zhang not only has the size but also appears prepared.

Read More: Former Champion Joe Joyce Shares Training Pictures With 4xAsian Champion as He Eyes the Anticipated Rematch With Zhilei Zhang Next Month

The user said, “I want to bet on Joyce this time, but I don’t know. Made a ton last fight on Zhang, but I think he’s [going to] win again. Might throw a little on Joyce just to make it interesting. Joyce just isn’t a very good boxer, and Zhang actually has a good game plan and the size to pull it off. Zhang by KO.” The following fan expects Zhang to win, though he wants Joyce to score a victory this time. ‘The Juggernaut’ doesn’t stand a chance unless he improves his head movement and defense.

Zhilei Zhang is fast, powerful, and skillful. Stylistically, he stands opposite Joe Joyce. The user said, “I’m leaning toward Z winning again. I’d like to see Joyce get a win, but unless he’s made leaps and bounds worth of improvement in his head movement and defense, I’m not seeing him pulling out a win. Big Z has the speed, has the power, and has the skill. He’s just a bad matchup for Joyce, stylistically.”

A fight and the reverberations

It was a shocker of a defeat for Joe Joyce, who many believed would win easily against Zhilei Zhang after coming off a unanimous loss to Filip Hrgovic. With nearly 46% of punches landing accurately on the Briton’s body, the ‘Big Bang’ effectively neutralized the hitherto heavy hitter, who won fourteen of fifteen through early stoppages. As many fans hope, perhaps he has returned to the drawing board to identify the areas of improvement and worked on those to reverse his fortunes this time.

What’s your take on the reactions? Do you think Zhang is going to win again? Please share your thoughts and views with us in the comments below.

Watch This Story: Zhilei Zhang vs. Joe Joyce II: Date, Time, Venue, Tickets, and Livestream