Despite not appearing to be too keen on the idea in the immediate aftermath of their first fight, Joe Joyce has to decided to activate a contractual rematch clause and take a second crack at Zhilei ‘Big Bang’ Zhang.
Zhang handed Joyce the first defeat of his professional career in April, upsetting the bookmakers’ odds when he forced referee Howard Foster to wave the contest off due to a brutal eye injury sustained by ‘The Juggernaut.’
When discussing the reason’s behind the loss on SecondsOut, Joyce’s promoter Frank Warren, as well as giving credit to Zhang’s work from the southpaw stance, admitted a touch of complacency may have crept in amongst the Brit’s team.
“I think complacency might have kicked in with all of us – including me, to be honest. I felt that Joe, especially after that performance against Parker, was really going from strength to strength.
But I genuinely believe he simply struggled with that southpaw stance, and if he struggles again with it, he’ll be in trouble! He’s got to learn from that fight.
The rematch is a very big fight, his career’s on the line in that fight.”
Now aged 38, one would imagine success in the rematch and reclaiming the WBO interim world title back is imperative for Joyce if he hopes to have any ambitions of becoming a fully fledged world champion.
It remains unclear as of yet where or when exactly a second meeting between the two behemoths will take place, though one would imagine Zhang can expect to make another trip to London before the conclusion of the summer.
Zhang had been linked to a fight with WBC world champion Tyson Fury before it became clear Joyce would be activating the rematch clause, and will have every intention of teeing up a payday of that magnitude by doing the double over Joyce.