By: Sean Crose
This one is a fairly attention-grabbing heavyweight matchup to make certain. Queensbury promotions has introduced that “Joe Joyce will defend his WBO Interim World Heavyweight title against the Chinese giant Zhilei Zhang at the Copper Box Arena on Saturday, 15 April, live on BT Sport.” Joyce has grow to be one of many high rising stars in boxing, a lot much less the heavyweight division after soundly beating up former world titlist Joseph Parker final October. The 15-0 Brit has gained all of his fights save 1 throughout the distance. A battle in London in opposition to an opponent of Zhang’s caliber is one other stable step in the correct route for the 37 12 months previous.
“It is a great fight,” says Joyce. “He (Zhang) had a tough fight against Hrgovic but I thought he won the fight. Zhang is a big, strong southpaw who is massive, and he has been to the Olympics and all that. So, he has the experience and I think it will be a great fight…He bangs so I will have to watch out for it. As Hrgovic and I have a similar style, they had a great fight, so when we fight it should be entertaining.” The towering Zhang’s final battle noticed the American based mostly fighter – by the use of China – drop a choice to Filip Hrgovic in August.
The 24-1-1 Zhang is not any simple opponent for Joyce, nonetheless. While there’s little doubt Joyce is the favourite strolling in right here, Zhang is keen to not let a lone defeat flip right into a profession roadblock. “It’s a new chapter in my career,” he says. “I am always up for the challenge when the opportunity rings the bell. Joe Joyce and I share a lot in common – we both are Olympic silver medalists, both are big punchers, and are nearly the same size. This is going to be an explosive, epic and tremendous fight.”
Promoter Frank Warren is keen to level out that Joyce, who’s in search of main matchups with the likes of world titlists Tyson Fury and Olesandr Usyk, is taking up a dangerous battle right here. “Zhilei Zhang is anything but an easy touch,” Warren says. “He is a formidable powerhouse who can consider himself unlucky not to be still an unbeaten contender following his fight with Filip Hrgovic last year.” Suffice to say, Joyce-Zhang is a particularly vital battle for each males, as a victory could properly result in larger issues. Much larger issues.
