Zhilei Zhang proved his heavyweight worth for the second-straight time earlier tonight (Sat., Sept. 23, 2023) from inside OVO Arena Wembley in London, England, when the WBO interim champion put a brutal stop to English powerhouse Joe Joyce in a rematch.
In case you forgot, Zhang shocked the boxing world this past April with a sixth-round TKO win over Joyce (albeit a doctor’s stoppage). The victory ended Joyce’s 15-fight unbeaten streak and left Zhang with the WBO interim strap. Both fighters agreed to a rematch to settle any uncertainties from their first fight.
Zhang, who is known for his punching power, left nothing to the imagination in the rematch as he went in for the kill in Round 3. He ended up catching Joyce with a massive right hand. Joyce crashed to the canvas to the chagrin of the crowd. Joyce wasn’t able to return to his feet and the fight was waved off.
As a result, Zhang walks away with his first successful WBO interim title defense and essentially puts Joyce at the back of the heavyweight pecking order. Zhang may be a 40-year-old veteran with little name appeal when it comes to casual boxing fans, but this victory could land him a big-time fight his next time out.
Check out the video highlights below:
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
