Heavyweight Joe Joyce was put to the canvas for the first time courtesy of a howitzer of a shot from Zhilei Zhang, who more than lived up to his nickname of Big Bang on Saturday at Wembley. Joyce was attempting to win back his valuable WBO interim title bargaining chip from following a first career setback in an April fight vs. Zhang. [Zhang won the first meeting by TKO in April and in Saturday's rematch, he  leveled Joyce with a one-punch KO in round three]. Promoter Frank Warren wrote: "Sequels don’t always work out and, sometimes, certain opponents simply have your number. In my book, Joe has unfortunately just encountered his nemesis, his fistic kryptonite, a southpaw code he was unable to crack. There is a tendency in this sport to make sweeping statements or knee-jerk reactions when a fighter, plain and simple, comes off second best. Joe hasn’t, all of a sudden, become shot to bits, as some would have you believe. Pre-Zhang, people were hailing his ability to walk through fire. Now, apparently, it has signalled his demise."

 

Warren continued, "It doesn’t happen very often, but sometimes – in whatever sport – you just come up against someone you can’t beat. Joe and his team are smart and honest people. He and they will know when his time is up. In the meantime, as his promotional backers, we will do our job, support him and bring him back when he is ready. I said beforehand that the loser was facing a long-ish and windy road back towards mandatory position for a world title opportunity and, in the current state of play, this is the case. However, in the heavyweight division, you are only one big win away from being back involved in highly-lucrative fights. Also, the heavyweight titles could end up being completely unified early next year and ultimately this usually results in them quickly becoming fragmented again. If this happens then Joe would be firmly back in the picture with a good win under his belt."

 

Warren continued, "I’ve also been made aware of a few post-fight comments on social media alleging a promotional switching of sides. Let’s be clear about this. Zhilei Zhang is a Queensberry fighter and this has been the case from before the first fight and will continue into the future. We have always been prepared to match our fighters up because our job is to make fights. In all sports there are winners and losers and, in cases such as this, we then deal with both outcomes and work out a way forward. Joe, like all fighters following a career setback, will rightly take some time out and consider all his options. Then, as soon as he gives us the nod, we will figure out the most appropriate route to bring him back and push him forward again."

 

Turning to the winner, Warren wrote, "In the case of Zhilei, our immediate task is to ensure he is in world title action at the earliest opportunity. We will do our utmost for both and that is how, for us, it works in this business."