Dillian Whyte gave his immediate reaction on Joe Joyce’s shock defeat to Zhilei Zhang, and believes the corner got it wrong.
Whyte was in attendance at The Copper Box in London last night and all his pre-fight talk was about targeting a bout with ‘The Juggernaut’ for the summer.
The Brit was a big favourite to come through the Chinese heavyweight, and was hopeful of a clash with either Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua, but he never settled in to the fight.
Zhang’s southpaw style caused major problems from the opening bell and his ramrod left hand was peppering the right side of the 37 year-old’s face.
The now former WBO interim champion, Joyce, never seemed to get going and his punches seemed to have little effect, if any, on ‘Big Bang’. His decision to come in 15lbs lighter than he did against Joseph Parker last time out will now be questioned.
The fight was eventually called off by the doctor in the sixth round after Joyce’s right eye, which had swelled from the opening round, had completely shut.
Speaking to Pro Boxing Fans after the fight, Whyte said:
“Tough fight, Zhang started really well, was clam, took it easy and he boxed well.
Joe’s corner was encouraging him to keep pushing forward but no he should have boxed and moved. He wasn’t his normal self today, he was a bit unhinged, he’s a tough amateur he’s boxed a lot of these guys already.”
In a strange turn of events, after defeat a fight between Whyte and Joyce is perhaps now more likely, with Joyce’s aura of invincibility gone.
Joyce has a rematch option if he wishes to run it back, but he hinted in his post fight interview that he may want a fight in-between, could that now be against ‘The Body Snatcher’?
Zhang immediately called out Tyson Fury and wants the fight back in homeland, China, and warned the WBC champion that he’ll ‘be going down’.