- The English heavyweight was knocked out by China’s Zhilei Zhang on Saturday
- Joe Joyce has reversed his retirement suggestions after his latest defeat
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Joe Joyce has quashed the retirement discussion and vowed to ‘build back and come back’ after his second defeat to China’s Zhilei Zhang on Saturday evening.
The heavyweight contender was once heralded as the next challenger for world champion status before two consecutive defeats to Zhang derailed those ambitions.
Zhang delivered the devastating knockout blow in the third round that left the Englishman crumbling and requiring oxygen in the ring after the fight, but Joyce has vowed to return again.
After the defeat, the 38-year-old said: ‘I feel good, I feel okay.
‘It’s not the end of the world. I can rebuild and come back. I’m going to take some time to think and see where I made the mistake.”
Joe Joyce has vowed to ‘bounce back’ after his third round defeat to Zhilei Zhang on Saturday
Joyce’s (right) career is now at a crossroads after his latest defeat to the Chinese heavyweight
Joyce was given oxygen while sitting on his stool in the ring after the fight against Zhang
The 40-year-old Zhang – nicknamed the Big Bang – retains his status as WBO interim champion and is the mandatory challenger for the winner of a fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury, should that ever be resolved.
Where Joyce goes next is unclear as the latest defeat takes him out of title contention and he faces a long road of lesser-known fights if he wants to return to his previous platform.
Former super middleweight champion Carl Froch claimed after Saturday’s Wembley showdown that Joyce’s next best move could be to call time on his time in the sport.
Zhang retains his status as WBO interim champion after a second victory over Joyce
Zhang (right) gave Joyce (left) a devastating knockout in the third round
Joyce was later seen laughing and smiling backstage after his fight with Zhang after leaving the ring without conducting his post-fight interviews.
Despite impressive victories in his early career, which made him one of the names of the rising heavyweight stars to watch, Joyce always faced a race against time to reach the top.
The heavy hitter from Putney only turned professional at the age of 32 and the expectation was that he would have to rise quickly in the rankings to earn title chances.
Joyce reeled off 15 straight wins, 14 by knockout, before facing Zhang for the first time and a return would be a long time coming.