Notebook: Joyce exercises right to immediate rematch with Zhang
Smith-Eubank II postponed; Matchroom signs Cuban amateur star Cruz; Baumgardner card in works; Quick hits; Show and tell
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Heavyweight Joe Joyce announced that he has invoked his contractual right to an immediate rematch with Zhang Zhilei.
“Rematch clause activated,” Joyce posted to social media. “Taking back what’s mine!”
Zhang took the WBO interim heavyweight title from Joyce in his first defense by sixth-round knockout in Joyce’s hometown of London on April 15.
There was a recent suggestion by Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, the co-promoter of lineal/WBC champion Tyson Fury, that Fury might seek a defense against Zhang in July. However, Zhang’s obligation to a Joyce rematch would get in the way.
The Paterson, New Jersey-based Zhang (25-1-1, 20 KOs), a two-time Chinese Olympian and the 2008 super heavyweight silver medalist, was fairly dominant against Joyce.
Zhang, who turned 40 on May 2, is a southpaw and spent five-plus rounds banging his powerful left hand off Joyce’s right eye, eventually rendering his face a bloody mess and slamming his eye closed.
When it was obvious Joyce could no longer see out of his swollen eye, the all-action fight was waved off, giving the 6-foot-6, 278-pound Zhang a big upset and by far the biggest win of his career. It also positioned him as one of the mandatory challengers for three-belt titleholder Oleksandr Usyk.
The 6-6, 256-pound Joyce (15-1, 14 KOs), 37, the 2016 British Olympic super heavyweight silver medalist, was severely troubled by Zhang’s left-handed stance and will need to make major adjustments if he is to have success in the rematch, which would likely take place this summer.
Smith-Eubank II postponed
What he says is a minor injury has caused Liam Smith to postpone his middleweight rematch with Chris Eubank Jr. for two weeks, Boxxer announced on Tuesday.
The card was scheduled for June 17 at AO Arena in Manchester, England but now will take place July 1 at the same venue. Smith-Eubank II will headline a Sky Box Office pay-per-view card in the United Kingdom with nothing set at this point for a broadcast in the United States.
“It’s just an old injury niggle flaring up but I want to take the time to let it heal up so that I can enter the ring at 100 percent on fight night because a 100% Liam Smith beats Chris Eubank Jr. every day of the week and twice on Sunday,” Smith said in a statement explaining the delay.
The British rivals met Jan. 21, also at AO Arena, and Smith pulled the upset in a fourth-round knockout victory in a fight made only because Conor Benn failed a drug test, causing a high-profile fight against Eubank scheduled for Oct. 8 to be canceled during fight week.
That left Eubank’s team at Wasserman Boxing to find another major fight for him, which they did against former junior middleweight titlist Smith (33-3-1, 20 KOs), 34, a few months later.
After the loss, Eubank (32-3, 23 KOs), 33, had the contractual right to an immediate rematch and in mid-February announced via social media that he had exercised his right to one. However, before the fight was formally announced there was much discussion about Eubank backing away from the rematch and next facing Benn instead, and doing so in Saudi Arabia.
Ultimately, however, that did not happen and the rematch with Smith was formally announced.
Matchroom signs Andy Cruz
Cuban Andy Cruz, one of the most decorated amateur boxers of recent times, is going pro after signing with Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn.
Cruz, who had previously attempted to defect from Cuba to no avail, apparently was successful this time, although no details of his exit were announced. Cruz, who plans to campaign at lightweight, will make his debut in a 10-rounder targeted for July.
Cruz, 27, won the lightweight Olympic gold medal at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Games by outpointing Keyshawn Davis, the 2022 Fight Freaks Unite prospect of the year, in the final.
Cruz also won three consecutive light welterweight gold medals at the World Amateur Championships (2017, 2019, 2021) and two gold medals at the Pan American Games (bantamweight in 2015, light welterweight 2019). He beat Davis four times in the amateur ranks.
“Thank God in the last two years I have matured a lot as a person, and I have realized that every minute is important,” Cruz said. “That will be the type of fighter you will see in me — the fighter who wants to make the most of every opportunity that comes his way; the boxer who will not only enjoys what he does but who will do it knowing that he is not doing it just for himself; that he also does it for the team that helped him get to where he is; but above all for the public that never abandoned him in the most difficult moments.
“The worst is over. I’m here and for the first time in a long time I feel that what I’m going to do with my career will benefit me not only personally but will also benefit my family, and my family already suffered too much because of me. Now it’s their turn to enjoy my sacrifice to the fullest, and I promise you all will see a fighter who will sacrifice to the fullest to reach the top of professional boxing.”
Cruz will be co-promoted by New Champion Promotions, which apparently assisted in his exit from Cuba.
“Andy is one of the most sought-after fighters to make the switch to the pro code, and we are honored to be trusted with the career of such a talented man,” Hearn said. “We’re completely on the same page with Andy and his team. We want to grow his profile and showcase him on the biggest cards. But we also know that a man of this talent will move fast in the sport, and we could be seeing him in massive fights sooner rather than later. One day this may be our greatest ever signing. I would bet on Andy to beat any 135-pounder on the planet now.”
Quick hits
Matchroom Boxing is planning a card for July 15 (DAZN) to be headlined by undisputed women’s junior lightweight champion Alycia Baumgardner (14-1, 7 KOs), 28, against foe to be named in Baumgardner’s hometown of Detroit, multiple sources with knowledge of the plans told Fight Freaks Unite. The co-feature in the works, the sources said, would match junior welterweights Richardson Hitchins (16-0, 7 KOs), 25, of Brooklyn, New York, and Montana Love (18-1-1, 9 KOs), 28, a southpaw from Cleveland. Baumgardner unified her WBC belt with the IBF and WBO titles by split decision over Mikaela Mayer in October. Then she routed Elhem Mekhaled on Feb. 4 to add the vacant WBA title to become the undisputed champion.
Junior lightweight contender Robson Conceicao, who was due to face Nicolas Polanco in a 10-rounder on the undercard of WBO middleweight titlist Janibek Alimkhanuly’s defense against Steven Butler on Saturday’s Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card in Stockton, California, has had to postpone the fight because of a visa issue coming to the U.S. from his native Brazil, according to Top Rank. Assuming it is ironed out the fight will instead take place June 10 at New York’s Theater at Madison Square Garden on the undercard of lineal/WBO junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor’s defense against Teofimo Lopez. Conceicao (17-2, 8 KOs), 34, a 2106 Olympic gold medalist, suffered both of his losses by decision in world title bouts, to Oscar Valdez in 2021 and Shakur Stevenson in his most recent fight in September.
Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn announced he has signed junior lightweight Eduardo Nunez to “a long-term promotional deal.” Nunez (24-1, 24 KOs), 25, who has had all of his bouts in his native Mexico, could be a future challenger for Matchroom-promoted IBF titlist Joe Cordina. “I’m very excited for this new episode in my career,” Nunez said. “I won’t take it for granted. It is extra motivation. I know I'm very close on fulfilling my dream of being a world champion and I will do it alongside the great team I have and our new members Eddie Hearn and Matchroom.” Said Hearn: “Eduardo is very well placed to challenge for a title this year. He always fights with bad intentions and that makes him a must-watch fighter.”
Promoter Lou DiBella announced he has signed 19-year-old junior welterweight “Dynamite” David Lopez (3-0, 2 KOs), a southpaw from a fighting family. Lopez, of Oakland, California, is trained by father Kris Lopez, a former pro boxer, and his older brother, great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather were also boxers. Lopez, who was 34-4 as an amateur, had his first fight for DiBella on April 27 before signing the promotional deal. “”Lou DiBella is a Hall of Fame promoter and I know I’m in good hands,” Lopez said. “I took care of business last month and can’t wait to get back in the ring to do it again. I have been training my whole life in this sport and the goal has always been to become a world champion.”
Show and tell
Eight months after the great Felix Trinidad got knocked out by fellow Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins in the 12th round of their historic showdown for the undisputed middleweight championship in Trinidad’s first career defeat, he returned to action in a Puerto Rico homecoming fight to face former middleweight titleholder Hacine Cherifi. Trinidad dominated. He dropped the big underdog Cherifi in the third round and twice more in the fourth round to secure the knockout win. After the fight, Trinidad surprisingly retired before making a comeback 2½ years later. The rousing knockout of Cherifi before an adoring crowd in San Juan took place on May 11, 2002 — 21 years ago on Thursday. Here is a scarce poster from the fight in my collection.
Correction: In the previous post on Tim Tszyu’s WBO interim junior middleweight title defense against Carlos Ocampo the date listed for the fight was incorrect. The fight is on June 17 United States time, June 18 Australia time.
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Photos: Zhang-Joyce/Queensberry Promotions; Cruz: Buda Mendes/Getty
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Joyce's tactics were totally wrong so he can right that at least and he can't do any worse than he did last time out. He can also not be unlucky in that his eye started swelling so quickly so he obviously thinks he can do better. Only time will show if he can but Zhang has to be favourite..
Joe Joyce's performance against Zhang was pretty poor defensively - I would have thought he'd have been better fighting a different southpaw before activating the rematch clause (if that were possible).
It's asking a lot to make the adjustments he needs within one training camp.
Also got to say that Eddie Hearn seems to have signed a diamond of a prospect in Andy Cruz.
I suppose the only caveat is that he'll be 28 in August and will need to be fast tracked.