The six-round punishment from Zhilei Zhang resulted in a swollen eye for Joe Joyce. Perhaps it broke his morale as well. The humiliating defeat also questioned the soon-to-be thirty-eight-year-old’s credibility as a potent boxer. The two-time national champion and Rio De Janeiro silver medalist has been on the path to recovery ever since. Thankfully, he retained the right to trigger the rematch clause. Joyce will face Zhang again at the Wembley Arena on September 23. And he allowed the followers to glimpse his ongoing training, which involves sparring with other boxers, some of whom have achieved considerable distinction in their spheres.

Up until September last year, Joy Joyce enjoyed a golden run. The orthodox boxer with Irish-Nigerian ancestry has been undefeated since his pro debut six years ago. More so, he had built up a formidable reputation as a knockout artist, with nearly 93% of his wins coming from early stoppages. Inching towards the exclusive world titles club, he knocked down Australian Joseph Parker on September 30 last year, becoming the WBO interim Heavyweight champion.

Joe Joyce, putting the house in order

But come April 15, all his calculations and plans floundered in front of an Oriental storm. In one of the year’s biggest upsets, Zhilei Zhang from China prevailed over the Englishman in front of a home crowd.

Early today, Joe Joyce shared a picture of him standing beside another boxer through his Instagram story. As it turns out, the person is Jakhongir Zokirov, a fighter from Uzbekistan. Per records, the twenty-year-old has yet to make a pro debut. However, his accomplishments as an amateur are sure to take many by surprise. His Instagram profile describes him as the 2021 World Champion, a four-time Asian champion, and a five-time champion in his home country, Uzbekistan.

As a super-Heavyweight boxer, Zokirov must have been roped in for resembling the way Zhang fights. The hard-hitting Chinese Southpaw, who has suffered only one career loss, a decision-based one, reportedly weighed around 278 pounds against Joyce’s 258. Hence, inviting a boxer who could match the opponents’ physicality is a prudent call. Though how he helps in terms of technique remains to be seen.

With an 80% knockout-to-win rate, Zhang enjoys pummeling his foes into complete submission. Whereas, even for an amateur record, Zokirov has won only seven of his fifteen victories through knockouts.

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What should be Joe Joyce’s approach to nullify Zhang’s attack during their rematch? Please share your thoughts and views with us in the comments below.

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