Results
Joe Joyce vs. Zhilei Zhang
Zhilei Zhang was seen as a hazardous last hurdle for Joe Joyce before his proposed world title shot and so it proved as Zhang stopped the Londoner in the sixth round at the Copper Box Arena to claim the WBO interim heavyweight title while Joyce was not able to do this. continue with the damaged eye.
2016 Olympic silver medalist Joyce was included in that group, winning the interim title with an 11th-round knockout of Joseph Parker last September, while 2008 Olympic silver medalist Zhang added to her stock in her last fight, despite losing in his first volume as a professional champion, hurting Filip Hrgović several times before losing a decision.
The first round was shaky before Zhang (25-1-1, KO20) came to life, landing several tidy punches, and in the second round the Chinese had more success than Joyce (15-15-15-), 1, KO14) on wobbly legs. Joyce had a ponderous start, struggling with a damaged eye, but had a much better third, stringing together his punches. The straight left made the difference for Zhang as he landed more shots in the fourth round, and although Joyce entered the fifth with more goals, his eye became more and more concerned and closed with each round. The eye was checked by a doctor before the sixth round, and after Joyce landed more piercing shots, the doctor was called again and this time the fight was stopped when Joyce’s eye was almost completely closed.
Zhang with a powerful shot in the second round 🫢#FightEvening | #JoyceZhang | 📺BT Sport 1 pic.twitter.com/nuz7Y6DJZW
— Boxing on BT Sport 🥊 (@BTSportBoxing) April 15, 2023
He shook up the heavyweight division 😯 pic.twitter.com/ju0WWR2Iku
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) April 15, 2023
Zhang now becomes the WBO’s must-see fighter for Oleksandr Usyk, while Joyce will need to reassess and come back stronger.
Watch: Dillian Whyte’s immediate reaction below.
Mikaela Mayer (18-1, KO5) stated that a proposed lightweight debut against Christina Linardatou was canceled at that weight due to the Greek being denied a license due to an ancient eye, but Mayer still appeared on the bill, earning the vacant interim WBC title fierce and unanimous victory over reserve Lucy Wildheart (10-2, KO4) in the eleventh hour. The American passed with scores of 100-90, 98-92 and 98-91.
Moses Itauma (3-0, KO2) won outside the round for the first time in his career, and Kostiantyn Dovbyschenko (9-13-1, KO6) was unbeatable and was satisfied with a 60-54 victory over six heavyweights.
Hole punches in bunches 🥊
A attractive display of combined punches by Moses Itaum in the 4th round 👏#FightEvening | #JoyceZhang | 📺BT Sport 1 pic.twitter.com/KmhPoYpu54
— Boxing on BT Sport 🥊 (@BTSportBoxing) April 15, 2023
Knockout artist Sam Noakes (11-0) successfully defended his silver Commonwealth and WBC International lightweight titles, earning another victory early in the second round after stopping Karthik Sathish Kumar (10-1, KO4). Gigantic right hand threw his head back Kumar at the end of the opener fell to the canvas and got ahead of the count, but the end came just before the half-second when Kumar was unable to avoid Noakes’ attacks, and when the next one was tiny, a edged right hand dropped Kumar again, the referee he’s seen enough.
Too balmy to handle 🔥@SamNoakes3 delivers a comfortable victory over Karthik Sathish Kumar ✅#FightEvening | #JoyceZhang | 📺BT Sport 1 pic.twitter.com/eWHJ0tJoAR
— Boxing on BT Sport 🥊 (@BTSportBoxing) April 15, 2023
Denzel Bentley (18-2-1, KO15) returned to the domestic level after losing his world title fight in his last outing and defended his British middleweight title with an emphatic 45-second TKO of Kieran Smith (18-2, KO7). Bentley hurt Smith with a left hand that sent the Scot to the ropes, and a attractive right hand landed and pinned the challenger to the canvas, where the fight was immediately stopped. The competition was also a qualifier for Hamzah Sheeraz’s Commonwealth title.
⏳ 45 seconds for @2Sharp_d to get your work done tonight 👏
— Professional boxing fans (@ProBoxingFans) April 15, 2023
Ethan “Jammy” James (11-0, KO0) went the distance once again, winning all six rounds over super lightweight Georgi Velichkov (3-13, KO3), while Sonny Ali (6-0, KO0) scored six rounds in the super delicate welterweight division, winning every session against Richard Helm (1-15-1, KO1).
Seth Gyimah (2-0, KO1) had four solid learning rounds at delicate heavyweight against the experienced Darryl Piercing (7-105-1, KO1), and Joel Kodua (2-0, KO0) remained undefeated but couldn’t give up Dale Arrowsmith (5-77-3, KO1), winning 40-36 after four rounds in the middleweight bout.
Daniel Dubois has revealed that his goal is an undisputed title clash with the winner of this weekend’s rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.
Dubois will defend his IBF heavyweight title against former world champion Joseph Parker on February 22 and arrived in Riyadh earlier this week to watch Saturday’s clash between Usyk and Fury.
After being written off by many recently, “Dynamite” has been in the form of his life lately, picking up three stoppage wins off the back of Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua.
It was said that the heavy-handed 27-year-old would immediately enter into a rematch with Joshua, but “AJ” and his team did not agree with this idea.
And keep talking talkSPORT today, Dubois stated that he has his eye on unifying the four belts with the winner of Saturday’s rematch if he manages to overtake Parker.
“I’m here in Saudi Arabia and I want a winner on Saturday night.
I want to fight for an undisputed result, that’s the game now and that’s the goal.
“100% [I would beat them]. This is my time now. I’ve had my ups and downs, but I’m a recent man.
“I am ready to seek and destroy!” 🔥
Daniel Dubois can’t wait to meet Joseph Parker on February 22 👀#DuboisParker pic.twitter.com/q1WP0YkrmQ
— Professional boxing fans (@ProBoxingFans) December 3, 2024
“I am ready to fight for the undisputed, win it and make history.
“I evolved and learned from my mistakes.
“The team did well and I’m firing on all cylinders now. Let’s go!”
Like Dubois, Parker is also in the best form of his career and comes into the match on the back of upset wins over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang.
The situation in the heavyweight division in 2025 depends on the outcome of the epic rematch on Saturday evening, in which three world titles will be up for grabs.
Usyk hurt and released Fury en route to a split decision victory when they first faced off in May, and many believe the ‘Gypsy King’ has everything to do if he wants to reverse the result.
“I am ready to seek and destroy!” 🔥
Daniel Dubois can’t wait to meet Joseph Parker on February 22 👀#DuboisParker pic.twitter.com/q1WP0YkrmQ
— Professional boxing fans (@ProBoxingFans) December 3, 2024
A third fight between the pair is contractually agreed if the Morecambe man wins, provided neither he nor ‘The Cat’ withdraws after the second battle at the Kingdom Arena.
Paulie Malignanggi believes that Tyson Fury is no longer the same fighter he once was, and he will not beat Oleksandr Usyk in Saturday’s rematch.
Fury decides to take revenge for his own loss of split decision to Usyk in May, when he meets the Ukrainian for the second time in Riyad.
Fury was given eight points after tripping over the ropes following a powerful attack from his rival, and Malignaggi feels his three fights with Deontay Wilder, in which he fell four times, are starting to catch up with him.
“I don’t know if Wilder and Fury are the same after these three fights,” the 41-year-old said talkSPORT Boxing.
“Wilder certainly didn’t look the same as Fury to me, his impact resistance was always one of the best.
“He got up from Deontay Wilder’s punches that would have made buildings collapse, and now Oleksandr Usyk, a former cruiserweight, turned him around and dropped him in the first fight.
“What are the lasting effects of the Wilder trilogy?
“Who is one of the most devastating boxers in history.”
The “Gypsy King” suffered the first defeat in his 36-fight professional career, but announced that he would end the 37-year-old’s career on Saturday.
Usyk remains undefeated in his 22-fight professional career, and in May he won the undisputed heavyweight title, the first man in the four-belt era to do so.
Former world champion Malignaggi believes that Usyk, who vacated the IBF belt after the first fight, will repeat the feat.
“I will choose Usyk,” he added.
“I don’t think Fury has it anymore.
“It’s no disrespect to Fury.
“I’ve always loved Fury, I’m just not sure if he can bring him back.”
Frank Warren today revealed that a third fight between the two teams is in the contract – provided Fury emerges victorious and neither retires – while the long-awaited clash with Anthony Joshua could be an alternative option for the Manchester fighter.
Tyson Fury described both Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois as “very constrained” compared to him ahead of his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
Fury, who saw Dubois defeat Joshua in five rounds at Wembley Stadium in September, is preparing for a second fight with Usyk on December 21 in Riyad, seven months after his first professional defeat against split decision for the undisputed title of heavyweight champion.
The ‘Gypsy King’ insists he will box in a similar fashion when he faces the Ukrainian for the unified heavyweight titles, as well as facing his rival in midfield, something he believes both Joshua and Dubois were unable to do , when they stood against him.
– What can you expect from me? Fury said during his face-to-face meeting with Usyk TNT Sports.
“Basically the same thing I did before.
“Good boxing.
“It’s not normal for someone my height and weight to be able to box and move and slide, so why should I take that away from my game.
“People tell me: go up to Usyk, take him down and punch him, but if it was so effortless why didn’t Joshua do it, who is a massive, sturdy man?
“Why didn’t Dubois do it?
“These men are constrained compared to me, very constrained.”
The 37-year-old Usyk defeated “AJ” twice on points and stopped Dubois, and Fury became the fifth Briton to fall victim to him.
The Manchester athlete believes it cost him an impressive performance in his first outing and has vowed to remain focused when facing Usyk on Saturday in three weeks’ time.
“I belong to a boxer,” the 36-year-old added.
“Slip, slide, clip, hook.
“I’m going to do it, but with more focus.
“A little more focused on my job and I think that’s my path to victory.”
Merry Christmas from World Boxing News
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