Three-time super-middleweight world champion, Carl Froch, has offered his opinion on the upcoming rematch between Zhilei Zhang and Joe Joyce, as the two heavyweights prepare to battle it out for a second time.
There is a feeling of last-chance saloon for both Zhang and Joyce ahead of the clash, with their respective ages of forty and thirty-eight years-old meaning defeat would give them a mountain to climb in order to get back into world title contention.
It is the Chinese big man who will go into the bout with the confidence, after a thoroughly dominate upset victory over the Brit back in April.
On his YouTube channel, Froch explained his belief that Joyce can make the necessary adjustments to avenge the lone loss on his record.
“Joe Joyce, for me, is a great fighter. He’s not got any finesse, he’s not a box of tricks, he’s not that skilful, but what he does, he does really well. He’s quite basic, but he’s fit and strong and he doesn’t stop coming forward, until like what happened in the first fight, Zhang closed his [Joyce’s] eye.
I think that, if Joyce gets it right, and boxes and moves a little bit, which he doesn’t always do, but he’ll have had to work on it in the gym. If he can get it right, and just show a bit more movement, with his work rate and keeping his head off of the centre, not walk into that jab or the back-hand from Zhang, I think that he will get the win.
Joyce isn’t a young man, but Zhang is getting old, getting a bit long in the tooth now. I just think that he is there to be beaten, but it’s a really close, pick’em fight.”
Zhang-Joyce II will take place on Saturday night at Wembley Arena, live on TNT Sports, headlining a card that also features Anthony Yarde and Zach Parker.