Heavyweight Joe Joyce took to social media to congratulate Joseph Parker on his twelve-round majority decision victory over Zhilei Zhang last Friday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Joyce told Parker, “Let’s run it back.”
Joyce (15-2, 14 KOs) destroyed Parker by an eleventh-round knockout in September 2022, walking him down and battering him from start to finish in that fight. The Juggernaut didn’t just beat Parker.
It was a pure demolition from the get-go. None of Parker’s little defensive tricks against Joyce, such as changing angles and moving his upper body, worked. Joyce was just too powerful and relentless for Parker, reminiscent of George Foreman’s second win over Joe Frazier.
Will Parker Bite?
The important question is, will Parker dare accept Joyce’s challenge? Does Parker risk facing another demolition job at Joyce’s hands, or does he show courage and try to show the fans that he can redeem himself after his humiliating loss?
It would be a courageous move on Parker’s part if he chose to face Joyce because he has his number and knows how to defeat him. Will Parker take the fight or choose a weaker option?
It’ll be interesting to see if Parker (35-3, 23 KOs) takes Joyce up on his offer, considering he might realize that his style is all wrong for him and that he will never beat the heavy-handed 6’6″ fighter. Joyce has just got Parker’s number.
“Great work, Joseph Parker. Beat Zhang again, and let’s run it back! THE JUGGERNAUT,” said Joe Joyce on X, congratulating Parker for his victory over Zhilei Zhang and calling him out for a rematch.
A Blueprint for Victory
‘The Juggernaut’ Joye fought Parker the way Zhang and Deontay Wilder failed to: by taking the fight to him, using nonstop pressure, and causing him to fold. Surprisingly, Zhang and Wilder never attempted to follow Joyce’s script and use the same plan.
Joyce has a ten-round tune-up fight next week against veteran Kash Ali (21-2, 12 KO) on March 16th at the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, England. This is a fight to get Joyce back on the winning track after his consecutive losses to Zhang.
“He did so fantastic, Joseph Parker. I’m so happy for him. Zhang is a tough competitor. He’s 40, but he can really punch,” said Tyson Fury to iFL TV’s YouTube channel, reacting to Parker’s win over Zhang.