Zhilei Zhang vs. Joe Joyce fight results, highlights: Chinese heavyweight stuns with TKO victory
CBSN
Zhang forced the referee to stop the fight after battering Joyce's right eye over six rounds
Zhilei Zhang took Joe Joyce's undefeated record, interim WBO heavyweight title and status as one of the mandatory challengers for unified champion Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday night in London. Zhang could not miss with his left hand, eventually forcing the ringside doctor and referee to halt the fight in the sixth round due to grotesque swelling of Joyce's right eye.
Zhang, a +600 underdog coming into the fight, found early success with the straight left from his southpaw stance, landing several sharp shots in the first round. By the second round, those left hands were visibly hurting Joyce, who looked stiff and slow throughout the bout.
Joyce is known for his durability and Zhang has faded late in fights, setting into motion an interesting situation where if Joyce could continue to survive, he may take over the fight in the second half of the fight.
