Joyce should take the immediate rematch with Zhang. I think he wins.

it's politics. Joshua/Usyk/Fury/Wilder are freezing out the rest of the heavyweights. boxing is pure bullocks. the only fights they will take in the interim is franklin, chisora type of bum fights. they would never take on joyce or Zhang. it's ridiculous. True, they'd never fight Joyce or zhang, so Joyce and Zhang had to fight each other. But then Zhang win against joyce isn't respected as Zhang didn't best josh/usyk/fury/ wilder?

I'm not sure Joyce wins, but it's a pity Joyce needs to beat Zhang to qualify for a big usyk or fury fight. We aren't sure if fury or usyk beats Zhang even, so that Joyce needs to beat Zhang seems unjust it's politics. Joshua/Usyk/Fury/Wilder are freezing out the rest of the heavyweights. boxing is pure bullocks. the only fights they will take in the interim is franklin, chisora type of bum fights. they would never take on joyce or Zhang. it's ridiculous.

I'm not sure Joyce wins, but it's a pity Joyce needs to beat Zhang to qualify for a big usyk or fury fight. We aren't sure if fury or usyk beats Zhang even, so that Joyce needs to beat Zhang seems unjust

Do not think Joyce would fair better in a rematch ,IDGAF what the official cards said he won 1 round (3rd) .He was dominated.

Well, not getting the swole eye might be the only thing he actually needs lol Zhang was breathing heavily in round 2 already. If it wasn't for the eye, ZZ would've eventually punched himself out and gassed. Joyce would've taken over from there and win a decision That's a fair point.

If his eye is okay and its not an orbital fracture or anything and just some bad swelling then I feel he should or has to really if he wants to get back into serious contention. I think its winnable and for me not a lot has changed either Zhang early (early-mid) or Joyce takes it via late stoppage from accumulation/exhaustion or on points. Even with one eye shut and I get he was behind and eating bigger, harder shots and while I don't expect many to agree I felt he'd have still ground Zhang down and was most likely on his way to doing so but I won't argue the stoppage. Its a weird one for me as Zhang was ahead, Joyces face was caved in and he was landing bigger and cleaner shots and maybe speculation more than anything but I feel Joyce despite his face falling apart was being less bothered if you will and for me Joyces style is heavily reliant on a sort of snowball effect. I think another round or two and the pressure and volume from Joyce would have really, really started to take its tole. I don't want too call it a lucky escape or discredit Zhang he rightfully won. For me Joyce never got exposed or anything we all know his limitations and what makes him good and vulnerable he just fought a dangerous opponent who I think we all felt was going to cause issues early and he did just that.

Joyce is at an age where one fight you had it, the next you don't. Holmes had it for Bey and Williams. A few month later something was missig for Spinks. And he was younger than Joyce. Joe looked painfully slow. One wonders just how much was taken out of him yesterday. My instinct tells me he's not long for his career after what just happened. He will be a quart low in his next start.

I was saying that to my nephew who I was watching with. From range he's in trouble, up close was where it was working. If he can get close enough he can minimise the impact of the straight left hand. I do think Zhang was definitely tiring a bit too. It’s a tough matchup for Joyce but with the right tactics he can win. I expect he’ll come in a lot heavier for the rematch too. The plan was clearly to move early which explains why he came in so much lighter.

Maybe Joyce/Whyte? If I was Whyte, id be angling to get a Zhang fight in Macau. It would be good money and he would become mandatory if he won. It puts him in a better position than he would get fighting Joyce. Joyce might not take the rematch. Zhang won't be called as Usyk's mandatory until next year, so that's not happening anytime soon. Can't see Hearn putting AJ in with Zhang at the moment. Fury v Zhang is doable, Zhang just signed to Warren.. Aside from those and a couple of others, Whyte is as big a name as any. I'd be getting my team on it if I was him. I don't think the reward Dillian is looking for is it that fight Joyce fight anymore, I think if Joyce had won, it might have been. Whyte has made some serious money in his career and his next fight was possibly going to be AJ in a stadium fight. Not sure its gonna be financially worth it for Dillian to fight Joyce next anymore when hes just lost. High risk and now lower reward. ​

Joyce is an intelligent person, it comes out in interviews... His problem is his style is so individuated. usually he manages to keep his opponents reacting to pressure. He really is not a big puncher and needs accumulation by pursuing his opponent going back. I agree with Dan that the fight was close... I saw rounds Joyce won, but Joyce cannot fight without making some adjustments. He needs to use angles, learn to do some more fighting off his back foot (he did occasionally) and become defensively responsible. Most pressure fighters that are succesful are deceptively defensively skilled... NO one stands there and gets hit flush and survives. Does anyone see the irony of this "lesson" delivered to Joyce? Remember how he beat Dubois? Lol. He could beat Jaing.

Maybe Joyce/Whyte? Makes sense.

Joyce needs to get closer to Zhang and try to take centre ring. He was a sitting duck at mid range on the outside. I was saying that to my nephew who I was watching with. From range he's in trouble, up close was where it was working.

Joyce himself seems to lack confidence in winning an immediate rematch and is looking to go in another direction for his next fight. Maybe Joyce/Whyte?

Joyce himself seems to lack confidence in winning an immediate rematch and is looking to go in another direction for his next fight.

Yup... {"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","title":"1482473283.0.jpg","data-attachmentid":31816340} Nope.... :cool:

Joyce vs Zhang in China should be an option.

I just don`t see what can he do different in a rematch. Will he start to move his head by the age of 37? Because Zhang will land big shots again. Maybe exactly on the same eye. A huge southpaw kept punching him with the left hand on the same place over and over again and Joyce had no idea what to do. It was very awkward, he was Zhang`s punching bag. He will do nothing different indeed. Because that's the way Joyce has always fought to date. Getting punched in the face throughout, but winning at the end. This time, his eye betrayed him. For sure, from now on he's not going to be perceived as threatening as he was before this fight anymore.

I think exactly the same. Joyce was slowly getting into his usual progression, which would have brought a late stoppage in all likelihood. But that eye ruined everything. Still, he really gets hit too much. He just can't continue getting hit like that, by no one in particular. I just don`t see what can he do different in a rematch. Will he start to move his head by the age of 37? Because Zhang will land big shots again. Maybe exactly on the same eye. A huge southpaw kept punching him with the left hand on the same place over and over again and Joyce had no idea what to do. It was very awkward, he was Zhang`s punching bag.

I think without the eye swelling, that was anyone's fight going into the second half and the tide seemed to be making a possible turn. I think exactly the same. Joyce was slowly getting into his usual progression, which would have brought a late stoppage in all likelihood. But that eye ruined everything. Still, he really gets hit too much. He just can't continue getting hit like that, by no one in particular.

It seems like he fell in love with his chin, listened to to hype too much. Fair enough his chin is very solid but you can't be taking damage because you can take a shot. It's kinda like Canelo, I think he's bought into this hype he's some huge puncher. He isn't and never was. He's a solid enough puncher, but most of the fighters he's actually put on the floor properly are guys that have been knocked out at lower weights. But he bought into this narrative he is some one punch knockout artist and started fighting with a lot of single shots and i think it's made him a lesser fighter. I think similar has happened with joyce. He bought into the narrative he's some immovable object and pretty much abandoned the notion of game plans etc.. you can't do that at heavyweight world level. Joyce's defence has never been great but hes actually used it a bit in the past, like the Dubois fight. Has anyone considered he might just be fading quickly? Some people decline very fast. He's taken a lot of shots in his career, its gonna start catching up with you, even if it's slower reactions etc. He took a lot of shots in the Parker fight, its all accumulation. Even aside from the eye injury, he looked like an old faded fighter last night. He usually has decent feet etc.. but none of that was there. Yeah. Tbh he just looked awful.