Joe Joyce had his march towards a world title showdown with Tyson Fury halted in its tracks by Zhilei Zhang at the Copper Box Arena in London tonight.
The Brit squared off with his fellow ex-Olympian Zhang in his latest hard-hitting run out with a bout against Fury this summer on the tip of fans and pundits tongues heading into the bout. But his infamous ability to take punishment ultimately was his undoing, as Zhang's ability to land flush saw an eye injury that forced a doctor's stoppage in the sixth.
Joyce tipped the scales at a svelte 256lb in an effort to outmove the much bigger Zhang, with fans expecting him to move around behind his jab similarly to his career-making win over Daniel Dubois. But he started rhythmically, even opting to open himself up for heavy shots from his rival on his way in.
