"Do you wanna see me shut Tyson Fury up?" - Zhilei Zhang calls out ‘The Gypsy King’ after stunning KO win over Joe Joyce, sending fans into a frenzy
WBO interim heavyweight champion Zhilei Zhang successfully defended his title against Joe Joyce with a third-round knockout in the main event on Saturday night.
The heavyweight pair had a rematch at Wembley Arena following their initial bout in April. During the initial encounter, Zhilei Zhang ended Joe Joyce's undefeated streak and captured his WBO interim championship with a sixth-round doctor stoppage victory.
Meanwhile, in the rematch, 'Juggernaut' displayed caution in the opening three rounds, showing reluctance to initiate exchanges and struggling against Zhang's activity. However, in the closing moments of the third round, the 40-year-old Chinese boxer unleashed a precise left cross followed by a powerful right hook, causing Joyce to fall heavily.
After securing the victory, Zhilei Zhang issued a challenge to the WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury during his ringside interview and expressed his desire for a potential showdown (translated from Mandarin):
"To the audience, I want to ask you a question: Do you wanna see me shut Tyson Fury up?"
Check out Zhang's comments below:
Zhang's call out for 'The Gypsy King' stirred a wide range of reactions from combat sports enthusiasts.
One fan wrote:
"Tyson will duck he knows he’ll get smoked"
Another wrote:
"💯% Zhang would drop him! That's if Fury doesn't come up with the usual excuses..."
Check out some more reactions below:
"Greedy belly has ruined the heavyweight division."
"Fury doesn't wanna face pro boxers for the time being"'
"Tyson would duck that fight"
How did Zhilei Zhang secure the victory against Joe Joyce?
In the opening round, Joe Joyce avoided Zhilei Zhang's potent left hand. Both fighters mostly exchanged jabs from a distance, with few significant punches landing. In round two, 'Bang Bang' adopted a more aggressive approach, delivering jabs to the head and body, occasionally targeting Joyce's defense. Joyce struggled against Zhang's left hooks, and the round ended with Zhang landing powerful punches, though Joyce remained on his feet.
Round three saw 'Juggernaut' displaying greater urgency, throwing body punches and catching Zhang with a right hand. However, Zhang's strong left punches troubled Joyce. In the final moments, a devastating right hand from Zhang sent Joyce crashing to the canvas, unable to continue. Zhang secured the victory with a knockout blow, ending the bout.