Joe Joyce will be hoping to lay down a stern warning to the likes of Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury by making light work of fellow big-hitter Zhilei Zhang at the Copper Box Arena on Saturday night. Joyce, who won the vacant WBO interim heavyweight strap by knocking out Joseph Parker back in September, could put himself firmly in contention for a world title shot with a convincing victory over Zhang as he looks to continue making solid progress in climbing the heavyweight pecking order.
Joyce remains undefeated after claiming 15 wins from as many professional fights and is the favourite to beat Zhang, although he will need to perform at his very best to stand any chance of coming away with the spoils. His opponent is still reeling from his first defeat at the hands of Filip Hrgovic last summer and will be desperate to redeem himself at the very next time of asking by upsetting Joyce in London.
The giant Chinese fighter tipped the scales at a massive 278lbs at Friday’s weigh-in, while Joyce will be hoping that he retains his ferocious knockout power on Saturday night after coming in at a comparatively slender weight of 256lbs. It remains to be seen what will be next for ‘Juggernaut’ if he manages to get the job done against Zhang, with huge fights against the likes of Fury and Joshua likely to be on the cards, although a shock defeat could see him tumble down the order of priority for the biggest names at the very top of the heavyweight division.
Express Sport takes a look at the key details ahead of the fight, including the best ways to watch the action and the full schedule for what should be an entertaining night at the Copper Box Arena…
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Live stream and fight time
The fight will be shown live in the UK on BT Sport 1HD and BT Sport Ultimate on Saturday 15 April, with the main card set to get underway at 7pm. You can also watch the action via the BT Sport app, where the event will remain available to watch spoiler-free immediately after the coverage ends.
Joyce and Zhang are expected to walk to the ring at around 10.45pm, although this will be subject to change given the unpredictable nature of what may occur on the undercard.
Full card
Joe Joyce vs Zhilei Zhang (WBO interim world heavyweight title)
Denzel Bentley vs Kieran Smith (Middleweight)
Sam Noakes vs Karthik Kumar (Lightweight)
Mikaela Mayer vs Christina Linardatou (Lightweight)
Sonny Ali vs Richard Helm (Welterweight)
Moses Itouma vs Kostiantyn Dovbyshchenko (Heavyweight)
What have the fighters said?
Joyce: “I’ll be more agile and mobile but I’ll still be coming with the power and the endurance and punch output and toughness. I’ve been very disciplined with my diet and plenty of good training with Larry Wade [strength and conditioning coach] and [boxing trainer Ismael] Salas. I’ve had a long camp and it’s been good and I’m feeling really fit. My abs are popping through so I’m ready to fight now.”
Zhang: “We accepted this fight with no questions. For me, I’m here for a reason. I’m here to become the strongest and the best. And I know that in order to be the best, you have to beat the best. The translation of ‘Juggernaut’ in Chinese is Red Tank. That’s what people call him. He has a tough chin, he has great stamina, but I’m the ‘Big Bang.’”
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