RESULTS: ZHILEI ZHANG UPSETS HEAVY FAVORITE JOE JOYCE IN LONDON

By: Jay Calderon‍

On Saturday at the Copper Box Arena in London, England, Heavyweight underdog Zhilei Zhang upset the heavily favored Joe Joyce, stopping the Brit in the sixth frame.

In the first round, Zhang was already finding a home for his left hand, busting up the mouth of Joyce. The second saw Zhang landing the same shot, busting up the Jose of Joyce and stunning the big man with a quick left hand.

Joyce seemed to wake up a bit more in the third, getting much busier and using work rate to keep Zhang much more at bay. Joe was still pressing in the fourth, but the left hand of Zhang was beginning to close the right eye of Joyce.

Joyce was much busier in the fifth, but Joyce was catching many of the shots on his gloves, then slipping in a big left hand time and time again. Joyce couldn't seem to get away from the left literally any time Zhang threw the shot.

Just before the sixth, Joyce's eye was checked by the doctor, but the doctor rules Joyce fit to continue. Joyce started the round by getting busy, but Zhang answered with a solid combination that scored well.

The referee once again had Joyce checked by the doctor, and this time the doctor advised the referee to stop the contest. To his credit, Joyce didn't dispute the stoppage.

Time of the stoppage was 1:34 of the sixth. Winner by technical knockout, Zhilei Zhang.

OTHER RESULTS:

Mikaela Mayer def. Lucy Wildheart, 10UD (Lightweight)

Denzel Bentley def. Kieran Smith, 1KO (Retained British Middleweight Title)

Sam Noakes def. Karthik Kumar, 2TKO (Retained Commonwealth Lightweight Title)

Moses Itauma def. Kostiantyn Dovbyshchenko, 6Points (Heavyweight)

- RESULTS

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