Comments Thread For: Zhilei Zhang Crushes Joe Joyce in Three Rounds With Brutal One-Punch KO

[James]

Spoken like a Hrgovic fan, rather than someone capable of recognizing the sweet science. You post up punch stats, as if the criteria weren't effective offense. Zhang did more damage and dropped Hrgovic, which you conveniently left out. I don't really have a problem with Hrgovic getting the nod, but many did. Facts are that it was another of boxing's controversial decisions and Hrgovic was LUCKY to get the nod, which is why I said that he arguably lost. Because there's a very good argument that Zhang won. Now stay in your lane and keep my name out of your mouth. You're on my ignore list.

Ignoring people because different opinion. You are really silly sensitive person. Are you sure that boxing is a sport for you? You should read poets, you sensitive poor soul. Fury was damaged vs Wallin, they did not stop it because it was Fury, so what. It is what it is.

P.s. Unlike you, Hrgovic got up and fought back and did not complain on KO that we could discuss was it really KO.

[James]

Usyk and Fury have no change against Zhang. He actually has high boxing IQ, pays attention to details, his punches are really fluid and he packs real power. My guess is that Usyk, Fury and those boys are going to wait until he age a couple of year more before stepping in.

I do not know, Fury might figt him because of big chinese market...big money... greedy belly...

[keith_head]

Ignoring people because different opinion. You are really silly sensitive person. Are you sure that boxing is a sport for you? You should read poets, you sensitive poor soul. Fury was damaged vs Wallin, they did not stop it because it was Fury, so what. It is what it is.

P.s. Unlike you, Hrgovic got up and fought back and did not complain on KO that we could discuss was it really KO.

Hrgovic is a good fighter and was brave to try to make it close but Zhang clearly won that fight.

Zhang dropped him and in at least 2 other rounds he had Hrgovic turning his back and walking away like he thought he was in Disneyland.

To give Hrgovic the win you'd have to have him winning 8 rounds and sorry no, he didn't do that.

Again, good fighter and is currently being underrated by the British fight fans. the Demsey McKean fight and even the Zhang loss should age pretty well.

In particular people writing him off after the McKean fight is bizarre. That was an undefeated long, tall southpaw who was spoiling and Hrgovic still knocked him out.

[HeadShots]

Zhang lost to Hrgovic. All Zhang has done is beat Joyce because he has extra power. All of Joyce's opponents have managed to hit Joyce like Zhang did. You shouldn't be talking about the guy at the top until he beats a decent boxer inbetween. Zhang is old and has stamina issues and looking at his record has gone the distance with more than one unknown fighter.

Joshua KO'd Joyce in one round in the amateurs...

just stop

he didn't lost the hrgo fight. everybody saw zhang get robbed


Zhang was never hurt. Can't say the same for Hrgo.


this was Usyk

GettyImages-1640922273.jpg
after a legal body shot from a mental midget with half the power of Zhang

[James]

Hrgovic is a good fighter and was brave to try to make it close but Zhang clearly won that fight.

Zhang dropped him and in at least 2 other rounds he had Hrgovic turning his back and walking away like he thought he was in Disneyland.

To give Hrgovic the win you'd have to have him winning 8 rounds and sorry no, he didn't do that.

Again, good fighter and is currently being underrated by the British fight fans. the Demsey McKean fight and even the Zhang loss should age pretty well.

In particular people writing him off after the McKean fight is bizarre. That was an undefeated long, tall southpaw who was spoiling and Hrgovic still knocked him out.

Just to be clear, my first impression was that I did not knew who won. But it was unanimous decussion. That is why stats are something that I was interested in.

I hope they will do rematch. That is what they both need. I believe that we can agree on that. Zz has big confidence now, and he improved, Hrgovic also has high confidence.

Regarding your statement that ZZ droped Hrgovic at least 2 times, I can not agree on that. i can only agree that he was hurt. Also ZZ was hurt few times. But that is not important. Most important fact for ZZ was that last 2 rounds ZZ faild to put pressure on Hrgovic, he faild to make sure that he wins. He can blame only him self or his team for that mistake.

I agree on McKean, he is really tough but lets see him more in the future.

[James]

just stop

he didn't lost the hrgo fight. everybody saw zhang get robbed


Zhang was never hurt. Can't say the same for Hrgo.


this was Usyk

GettyImages-1640922273.jpg
after a legal body shot from a mental midget with half the power of Zhang

Let's put it like this. Both won. Hrg is in mandatory possition now, ZZ is in mandatory possition. They fought when no one wanted to fight them. We still have discussion who won, that is good for rematch. Good publicity.

[billeau2]

I think the main adjustments that he made were trying to circle left and his right hand placement, and he really ended up looking like he was caught between styles.

Distance was ALL wrong for circling left. He was just asking for a right hook from Zhang circling in that range, and Zhang was looking for it as soon as Joyce started circling. Could see him looking for that hand feint in the first 30 seconds, and he tried in the second round for it too. Keeping the right glove in front did keep him a little more protected from the left, but because it wasn't fully chambered, I don't think he knew how to punch normally with it, and he was so afraid of Zhang's offense that he didn't have his own customary offense. Barely threw that right at all, and when he did, it wasn't with any pop. Because he was so paranoid about the left, and circling to Zhang's right, he was absolutely ripe for that light 2 to setup the 3 that ended the fight. Hands got pulled out of position and he walked right into that shot.

I agreed with the commentators that a looping left was also available, but it wouldn't have been as effective as the right hook because he was circling away from that left hand. Unfortunately for him, Zhang does have a really good right hook, and he was hunting it all night. I get that you can only change so much in a guy that age, but that game plan seemed way too simplistic and they underestimated again how many tools Zhang has in his toolbox IMO. Perfect storm to make him look absolutely done.

Very spot on analysis.

For a fighter to make adjustments, create distance from a particular punch, set up their own opportunities, certain things have to be present to begin with... One might have imagined, as I mistakenly had, that as a pressure fighter Joyce would know what he needed to change to be more effective, as opposed to less lol. So giving Joyce the benefit of the doubt... he comes in heavier to hit harder. This never works lol, but... Joyce had a different background... ok.

Well, not only does that appear IMO at this point to be covering up a lack of training... there was nothing else with this change... no change in head positioning, no angles... and only a small attempt to reposition himself properly... I think JOyce hit the wall. The same wall that Kownaski hit when The Nordic Nighmare beat him. Pressure fighters are too often thought of untrained brutes blessed with a great engine. One quickly can see that to succeed as a pressure fighter takes a lot of intelligence, the ability to find a way to move your opponent backwards, and nullify their power... It is not such an easy road to success if one does not have a good command of boxing technical skills.

[joseph5620]

“Gift decision.” You NPC casuals love to throw that word out these days. It was close. Hgovic clearly won the early rounds and Zhang came on late. Look at the punch stats.. You’re clearly sone casual who never really had any interest in that fight, but now that Zhang beat Joyce twice, you want to jump into the conversation. Zhang lost, albeit close, he lost. Quit crying, learn some new dialogue.

The irony of you calling someone a casual while using punch stats to decide a fight. That in itself makes it obvious who the casual is. Only a biased moron would look at that fight and believe Hgovic outpunched Zhang.

[Zelda]

Looking back at the fight again, Joyce seems to have lost his confidence and was confused between defense and throwing a half-hearted jab. All the adjustment he did was circling left and keeping his right hand high. That is fine, but then you need to be careful of the range and not be a scared fighter. He did not throw a single punch with mean intention, thereby allowing Zhang to set up his game plan and do what he liked because there was nothing to fear from Joyce and no shots to look out for. Joyce looked scared and confused between styles, and was too predictable. He also lacked any offense of his own. It took 1.5 rounds for Zhang to figure that out.

Obviously, we have the advantage of hindsight and that may not be what Joyce thought or felt at the time. But it is a big lesson for next time as well as for other fighters.

[keith_head]

Yeah it was crazy listening to the commentators trying hard to say that Joyce had improved in that first round. He did not land a single punch, all he was doing was trying to move to his left and stay out of range.

His jab did not even land, Zhang took that away again, just like he did in the first fight. And Zhang was landing that long straight left to the body. Almost Mayweather-esque with the long backhand to the body. That basically set up the win in the first few seconds of the first round.