Trainer Shane McGuigan has broken down this weekend’s hotly anticipated rematch between Zhilei Zhang and Joe Joyce at Wembley Arena
.Zhang sprang a huge upset earlier this year and became the first man to defeat Joyce as a professional when the ringside doctor advised referee Howard Foster to wave the contest off due to damage to ‘The Juggernaut’s eye.
When asked for his two cents on Joyce’s chances of exacting revenge against ‘Big Bang,’ McGuigan explained to SecondsOut that the Brit should be able to pull it off – provided he gets his tactics right.
“I think he [Joyce] needs to negate that back hand, and even the front hook of Zhang, he was catching him all day long.”
“Joe needs to be busier, he starts too slow. He needs to have a good warm up, and be more negative by moving a bit more. He’s a great athlete, he has that in him – so use that athleticism. In three or four rounds, Zhang will be tired – he’d be tired after shadow boxing for four or five rounds.”
“Get through the first six, apply your pressure in the next six. Do that, and he should stop him. But it’s whether he can apply that and do it on the night.”
“Joe, being an Olympic silver medalist, should have more than enough to apply simple, strategic tactics. But he’s never in a dull fight.”
The WBO interim world title will once again be on the line at in London, meaning the victor will be in line for a shot at the full belt in the not too distant future
There had been speculation over the spring that Zhang was in talks to take on WBC champion Tyson Fury, however Joyce had no interest in accepting step aside money and activated a contractual rematch clause for another crack at ‘Big Bang.’