British Heavyweight Joe Joyce Will Not Change Exciting Style’ For Zhilei Zhang Rematch

• British heavyweight will not change ‘exciting style’ for Zhilei Zhang rematch.

Britain’s Joe Joyce says he has no plans to change his style when he faces Zhilei Zhang in their heavyweight rematch on 23 September in London.

China’s Zhang beat Joyce in April in an upset, with the fight stopped because of an eye injury to the Englishman.

Joyce’s come-forward tactics and defence were questioned after being repeatedly tagged by Zhang, but he says he will not be making big changes.

“I don’t mind taking punches to give more back. That’s my style,” he said.

“It’s risky and exciting. I came up short against Zhang.

“It’s about righting the wrongs and improving things in camp. Making myself into a better Joe Joyce, a better ‘Juggernaut’ to beat Zhang.”

He added: “Obvious thing is to have better defence.”

Joyce, 37, says he did not consider other options as he activated his rematch clause three weeks after the shock loss.

The Londoner was previously undefeated in 15 fights and was mandatory challenger to Oleksandr Usyk’s WBO title before his defeat by 40-year-old Zhang.

Joyce wants to get back into mandatory position in time for when the WBO orders Usyk to defend the belt against their challenger.

“I’m third in line – it goes WBA, IBF and then WBO,” he told 5 Live Boxing.

“Once I beat Zhang, get the title back, nothing will have changed.

“I’ll get back in time for my shot. Otherwise if I take a fight in between, it could give Zhang that opportunity.

“It’s a long route back round. I’ll be 38 by the time of the rematch so I want to get back. I want to go the express route.”

Joyce’s promoter Frank Warren says the key to victory in the rematch will come down to whether his heavyweight can adjust to dealing with Zhang’s southpaw stance.

“He just didn’t cope with it,” Warren said.

“There was no head movement. But you can’t have head movement, because [an injured eye] distorts [your vision] and throws you completely out.

“That’s why the doctor stopped the fight, because of the injury. That was part of it.

“He’s not stupid. He’s got to go back to the drawing board with his trainer – see how he can negate and deal with that southpaw style.

“The good thing is it’s only a few weeks ago that he was in the ring with him so it’s fresh in his mind. He knows what he’s got to do. The question is can he do it?”