Joe Joyce vs Zhilei Zhang

Joe Joyce vs. Zhilei Zhang was a professional boxing match contested on for the WBO interim heavyweight title.

Background
Joe Joyce won the WBO Interim World Heavyweight title in a September 2022 bout against Joseph Parker. Zhang's last bout before facing Joyce was in August 2022 when he suffered his first loss to Croatian Filip Hrgović, after a close-fought battle where he lost by unanimous decision in what was described as a "generous" decision by broadcaster Sky Sports after a "bizarre" performance by Hrgović.

The bout was held at the Copper Box Arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on 15 April 2023.

The fight
Repeated heavy shots from Zhang caused swelling above Joyce's right eye causing the fight to be stopped following an inspection by ringside doctor after the 6th round, giving Zhang a technical knockout victory.

Aftermath
Following Zhang's victory, reports stated that a bout between himself and Tyson Fury were being discussed. On 29 June an immediate rematch was announced for 23 September at Wembley Arena in London, England for the same title. Tyson Fury took to social media to offer Joyce sparring following the announcement.

Fight card
Source: