Following Joe Joyce’s knockout loss to Artem Suslenkov, Jordan argues the immediate rematch with Zhilei Zhang became the defining mistake of the heavyweight’s career
Simon Jordan believes Joe Joyce’s career was damaged long before his knockout loss to Artem Suslenkov. The broadcaster says Joyce’s decision to accept an immediate rematch with Zhilei Zhang marked the turning point that reshaped his heavyweight future.
“After that fight everyone was putting Joe Joyce up at a certain level, perhaps that he could go with Fury because of his size and because of his engine, because he could go and go and go,” Simon Jordan said on talkSPORT Boxing.
“Whoever told him, whoever allowed him to take the rematch against Zhilei Zhang took his career and hurt it.
“I’m not being disrespectful to Frank, but Frank’s the promoter in this instance, and he should never ever, and Adam Morallee should never have allowed Joe to take that rematch against Zhang.
“Pride to one side, he needed to have gone down a different route, rebuilt himself, because all he did in that first fight.”
Joyce was stopped in the sixth round by Zhang in April 2023 before returning five months later for an immediate rematch, where he suffered an even more decisive third-round knockout. Jordan believes Joyce’s handlers should have steered him toward rebuilding fights instead of putting him back in with one of the division’s biggest punchers.
Spencer Oliver admitted Joyce’s latest performance was difficult to watch and said he had feared this type of ending for some time.
“This one was very, very sad. He started off right the first couple of rounds, and then he was just getting really knocked from pillar to post,” Oliver said.
“He’s a lovely guy, Joe Joyce. Best days are behind him. We don’t want to see this. We’re worried about the fella’s health. The way he fights, this isn’t a Ben Whittaker-type fighter that’s stylish. He gets hit.”
Joyce has not indicated whether he plans to continue fighting, but his latest knockout loss has again placed his future under the spotlight while Jordan insists the decision to pursue an immediate rematch with Zhang marked the turning point in his career.
