It was a ruthless and rip-roaring repeat at the OVO Arena Wembley as Chinese power-puncher Zhilei Zhang brought an even more emphatic conclusion to his rematch with Joe Joyce than he did last time. The official time was 3:07 of Round 3.
Zhang, who scored a sixth-round stoppage over Joyce in April, followed a southpaw left with a crushing right hook to the jaw that sent the 281-pounder sprawling to the canvas late in Round 3. Joyce made it to his feet a split-second before the count was completed, but referee Steve Gray had no confidence in his ability to continue and called the bout off.
"I said before the fight that it would end sooner," Zhang said via translator in his post-fight interview with TNT Sport. “But Joe is a helluva fighter. I respect him. I like him. We’re professional fighters and we’re here to entertain. I hope everyone enjoyed it."
It was reconnaissance in the opening round with both men trying to establish position. Joyce, an orthodox fighter, had all sorts of problems with the lefty stance last time out and succeeded in making it through this session without absorbing anything concussive.
That success would be short-lived.
Zhang was first to release his backhand in Round 2, nailing Joyce flush and just like in fight one, there was an immediate effect. Soon thereafter, a three-punch salvo sent the Englishman stumbling back on his heels and the writing was on the wall already.
Even this early in the fight, Joyce looked ridiculously slow and the panic of being caught cleanly took him away from any game plan that he brought into the ring. Again, the home fight was stationary, confused, and a sitting duck for his opponent’s power shots.
Joyce was being clipped again in the third and was well on his way to losing the round before Zhang lowered the boom. It’s perhaps best that the fight was over so quickly because it was shaping up to be a horrible and one-sided beatdown.
Any thoughts of Joyce moving on to mega fights with Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, or former amateur rival Oleksandr Usyk have gone up in smoke. Instead, it’s Zhang who takes his place as a threat to the division elite. And despite being WBO mandatory challenger for Usyk, the 40-year-old hitter is taking aim at "The Gypsy King".
"Do you want me to shut Tyson Fury up?" Zhang asked the audience before leaving the ring with the best victory of his career to date.
Zhilei Zhang vs. Joe Joyce 2 full card results
- Zhilei Zhang (c) def. Joe Joyce via KO 3 for the interim WBO heavyweight title
- Pierce O'Leary def. Kane Gardner via UD 10; Super Lightweights
- Anthony Yarde def. Ricky Summers via KO 2; Light Heavyweights
- Sam Noakes def. Carlos Perez via PTS 6; Lightweights
- Zach Parker def. Khalid Graidia via TKO 7; Super Middleweights
- Ezra Taylor def. Joel McIntyre via TKO 8; Light Heavyweights
- Royston Barney-Smith def. Engel Gomez via PTS 6; Super Featherweights
- Moses Itauma def. Amine Boucetta via TKO 1; Heavyweights
- Tommy Fletcher def. Alberto Tapia via TKO 6; Cruiserweights