British heavyweight Joe Joyce’s world-title ambitions were derailed as he suffered a sixth-round technical knockout loss to China’s Zhilei Zhang at London’s Copper Box Arena.
Joyce, 37, was staggered several times and had no answer to Zhang’s power as he suffered his first pro loss.
The ringside doctor inspected Joyce’s swollen eye at the end of round five, before the referee halted the contest.
“I’m just disappointed with my performance,” he told BT Sport.
“The right hand he kept hitting me with… I couldn’t get out of the way, so respect to Zhang.
“I expected to win like I normally do. Thanks for all the support and congratulations.”
The 2016 Olympic silver medallist was the mandatory challenger for unified champion Oleksandr Usyk’s WBO title and was on the cusp of a world-title shot. He added: “I’m disappointed. I’d like to apologise to all my fans and supporters. I’ll be back. My journey’s not over. This is just a hurdle I’ve tripped over. I’ll be back.”
More to follow.
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