If 2023 is the year of the matchmaker, and the results in the ring suggest it has been, this weekend should be another feather in their caps.
Saturday (ESPN+, 3 PM EST), fans in the UK are going to be treated to a clash of mammoth heavyweights with implications for a future title opportunity hovering over the proceeding. It’s a pair of Olympic silver medalists with big punches, big chins, and a willingness to scrap.
That’s a hard formula to screw up. For as long as this lasts, and the carnage that will accumulate the longer it goes will only add to the drama, it should be a genuine hoss fight.
Boxing can always use a good hoss fight.
Let’s get into it.
Stats and Stakes
Joe Joyce
Age: 37
Titles/Previous Titles: None
Height: 6’6
Weight: 256 lbs.
Stance: Orthodox
Hails from: Putney, London, United Kingdom
Record: 15-0, 14 KO
Press Rankings: #2 (TBRB), #4 (Ring), #5 (BoxRec), #6 (ESPN)
Record in Major Title Fights: No title fights (1-0, 1 KO in interim title fights)
Last Five Opponents: 131-19-1 (.871)
Notable Outcomes, TBRB/Ring Rated Foes: Joseph Parker KO11
Additional Current/Former Titlists Faced: None
Vs.
Zhang Zhilei
Age: 39
Title/Previous Titles: None
Height: 6’6
Weight: 278 lbs.
Stance: Southpaw
Hails from: Zhoukou, China
Record: 24-1-1, 19 KO
Rankings: Unranked
Record in Major Title Fights: No title fights
Last Five Opponents: 92-18-3 (.827)
Notable Outcomes, TBRB and/or Ring Rated Foes: Filip Hrgovic L12
Additional Current/Former Titlists Faced: None
The Pick: While neither man is a speed demon by any stretch, tape of both men suggests that Zhilei may have the quicker hands. That could matter, particularly early, as both men are heavy handed so being first will count. Zhilei is coming off his first loss and, nearing forty, his desperation level may be higher than Joyce’s. That could make for some energetic exchanges.
While Zhilei might look a little quicker, that’s assuming the form both have shown in recent fights. The scale adds another dimension to this scrap. Zhilei is over 270 pounds for the fourth fight in a row, matching a career high from 2019. Joyce has scaled down considerably for this one. Joyce is the lowest he’s been since 2019 after coming in slightly over 270 for the Parker bout.
This suggests a Joyce attempting to be more agile and able to fight at a quicker pace. Joyce is better technically than he looks, able to string together smart combinations and find a home for his heavy hands. Joyce has faced generally tougher opposition so far as a professional while Zhilei had a longer amateur pedigree.
This is genuinely a fight where anything can happen. No matter the quality of the whiskers displayed by both men so far, getting punched by skilled opponents closer to 300 than 200 pounds means anything can happen. The guess here is Joyce loses some early rounds but ultimately his pressure and smart punch placement takes a toll. The pick is Joyce in a thundering battle.
Rold Picks 2023: 16-3
Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, a member of the International Boxing Research Organization, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com