“He Got Beat Like I Thought He Would”: Months After Offering Joe Joyce Help, Tyson Fury Remains Honest About His Loss to Zhilei Zhang

In April this year, Joe Joyce saw his undefeated record get tarnished at the hands of Zhilei Zhang. Now the 38-year-old former Interim Heavyweight champion is looking to avenge his loss in the second iteration of the fight. The anticipated second fight is taking place at the Wembley Arena on 23 September. Before Joe can avenge his loss, however, Tyson Fury jumped into the mix.

The ‘Gypsy King’ Fury is the lineal and Heavyweight champion of the world. He has fought in two different trilogies, emerging victorious in both. However, back in 2022, Zhilei accused Fury of being a disgrace to boxing. He claimed Fury was evading legitimate challengers, per a report from Daily Mail. Fury and Zhang have always had a feud. The former made an offer to Joe, trying to help him before the first fight. Recently, Fury looked back at his offer and talked about how Joyce could have potentially defeated Zhang. 

Brutal Remarks from Tyson Fury about Joe’s loss

While appearing in an interview with Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions, he explained his thoughts on the Joe vs. Zhang fight. Fury said, “He got beat like I thought he would.” As per Fury, he thought Joe would have had a hard time winning against Zhang. But he could have won if the match had gone on for a bit longer. Fury further said, “I told Joe, live on the internet, if you come to Morecambe Bay, I will almost guarantee you a win over Zhang, and he did not.”

According to Fury, Joe went to Vegas instead and explained he could not help someone who didn’t want his help. Later, Fury expressed his thoughts on the upcoming rematch, saying there is a 50-50 chance of Joe winning. However, Fury leaned more towards Zhang, claiming he has a couple of advantages.

One, “He’s just beaten him already, knocked him out.” And second, “His confidence will be even more, knowing he can win.” Fury explained that Zhang did not know he could win during the first match.

Zhilei Zhang’s warning to Joyce

Zhang, 40, has a record of 25-1-1 with 20 wins coming from knockout. Zhang aims to beat Joyce for the second time to get a shot against Oleksandr Usyk and Fury. In his last fight against Joyce, Zhang put down a serious beating, damaging Joyce’s eye. What’s more, while appearing in an interview with Seconds Out, he expressed similar intentions for the rematch.

Also Read: Joe Joyce Medical Update: Did He Suffer Any Injuries?

When asked about his comment on targeting Joyce’s eye – the Chinese fighter explained his strategy. He claims he will keep targeting his eyes, and if that does not work, he is ready to fight for fifteen rounds. 

In the first match between the two heavyweights, Zhang was the underdog. However, the tables have turned in Zhang’s favor, and Joyce is the underdog now. It just goes to show how fights can look very different when the fighters get into the ring. What are your thoughts on the rematch? Who do you think will win?

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