Joe Joyce Puts It All on the Line Against Zhilei Zhang

Just what do you do when waiting for a crack at the world heavyweight title? Joe Joyce is in that position, but he can’t stay inactive until that title fight contract is signed. Instead, he takes on the dangerous Zhilei Zhang, one of the best Asian boxers in the world, at the Copper Box Arena in London on April 15.

Joe Joyce to Risk It All Against Zhang

Frank Warren confirms that he plans to make Tyson Fury vs Joe Joyce at Wembley stadium this summer, providing they both come through a Usyk and Zhang respectively.

If you had to pick a winner today, who would it be?#frankwarren #furyjoyce #tysonfury #joejoyce #boxing pic.twitter.com/yaPcY36rxK

— 🎙LoveBoxingTV (@LoveBoxingTV) February 7, 2023

The Future for Joyce

Joyce currently holds the WBO interim heavyweight title after beating Joseph Parker. It’s one of many titles out there, that don’t mean a great deal. Not when the real champion is Oleksandr Usyk. Joyce could just wait for the WBO to have a dispute with the Ukrainian and be elevated to champion but that’s not his style.

A title match with Tyson Fury is a possibility. Fury has spoken about fighting Joyce, but he seems to change his choice of opponent on a daily basis doesn’t he?

Joyce turns 38 this September, so that title fight better come sooner rather than later. Logic would be that he tries to get a shot at the WBA title held by Daniel Dubois. He has already beaten him, and surely the champion would love to avenge that defeat.

The Dangerous Zhilei Zhang

That might be his only option if Zhang was to cause an upset in April. Joyce is still undefeated as a professional, and he is not one to take on easy tasks. He is similar to Dillian Whyte, who had a long wait for a title fight but never shied away from taking on tough opposition. That of course, caused him problems when losing to Alexander Povetkin.

That fight showed just how exciting betting on boxing can be. Anyone with a bet on Whyte looked to be in a good position, but then it all went wrong. Just a single punch can decide whether a bet is a winner or a loser.

When wanting to bet on boxing, join a site that has lots of coverage of the sport and not just all the major fights. Also, one that has a good welcome offer and plenty of other promotions, especially on boxing with highly competitive odds. If you want to join international betting sites to bet on boxing, Wincomparator has a helpful list of sportsbooks to register with.

Can Zhang Upset Joe Joyce?

Could the same happen to Joyce? Zhang lost to Filip Hrgovic in his last fight, and many believe he should have been given the points decision not his opponent. That is the only loss of his professional career though he did only draw with Jerry Forrest. 

That would have been a win, but for Zhang having a point deducted for holding. 19 of his 24 wins have come inside the distance, and he had Forrest down three times but just couldn’t finish him off.

Joyce can take a heavy punch, we all know that. He has to because he doesn’t possess the best defence in the world. That ability to take a big shot is bound to be tested again against Zhang. Will it hold up, or is it going to be back to the drawing board for the British fighter?