Whether or not Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk trade hands on the 29th, we’re guaranteed some quality heavyweight action in April. Frank Warren announced today that WBO interim champ Joe Joyce will face Zhilei Zhang on April 15th at London’s Copper Box Arena.
Joyce (15-0, 14 KO) hit a quiet patch in his career after what should have been a star-making thumping of Daniel Dubois, but after puttering along with finishes of Carlos Takan and Christian Hammer, he returned to the big show last September against Joseph Parker. The fight predictably wound up being one of 2022’s best, ultimately ending with a clubbing left hook from Joyce that handed Parker the first stoppage loss of his career.
In the eyes of most, Zhang (24-1-1, 19 KO) should be entering the ring with the same sort of momentum. He erased the memory of his catastrophic collapse against Jerry Forrest by seemingly upsetting Filip Hrgovic, only to wind up on the wrong side of a controversial unanimous decision.
There’s every reason to believe this will be a banger. Besides being gigantic, both men know how to effectively utilize their physical abilities. Joyce uses his motor and durability to great effect, while Zhang’s hands are deceptively fast and polished for his size. Damn good fight, and it’s nice that at least some form of hardware will be at stake.
“It is a great fight,” reacted Joyce to his first defence being set. “He had a tough fight against Hrgovic but I thought he won the fight. Zhang is a big, strong southpaw who is massive, and he has been to the Olympics and all that. So, he has the experience and I think it will be a great fight.
“He bangs so I will have to watch out for it. As Hrgovic and I have a similar style, they had a great fight, so when we fight it should be entertaining.
“It will be carnage in the centre of the ring! I have lost my temper a few times in sparring and once was against a come-forward southpaw who was trying to knock me out. It was an exciting spar.
“I think with me and Zhang there will be real heavy punches exchanged and I am sure it will be a good fight. It will be a good preparation for Usyk or Fury, plus I haven’t fought a southpaw since I won the Commonwealth title against Lenroy Thomas.”
“It’s a new chapter in my career,” Zhilei Zhang added on the crunch heavyweight clash at the Copper Box. “I am always up for the challenge and when the opportunity rings the bell. Joe Joyce and I share a lot in common – we both are Olympic silver medalists, both are big punchers, and are nearly the same size. This is going to be an explosive, epic and tremendous fight.
“I want to thank my team and Joyce’s team for putting this together. I want all my fans in UK to show up and enjoy the event. Can’t wait to get in the ring on April 15th.”
Mikaela Mayer is coming back to the U.K. for the second time in a row.
The former unified junior lightweight champion will make her lightweight debut against former two-time junior welterweight world champion Christina “Medusa” Linardatou on Saturday, April 15, at Copper Box Arena in London.
Mayer-Linardatou will serve as the co-feature to the WBO interim heavyweight title clash between undefeated British knockout artist Joe Joyce and Chinese contender Zhilei Zhang.
Promoted by Queensberry Promotions, Joyce-Zhang, Mayer-Linardatou and undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+.
“Mikaela Mayer made such a big hit in the UK that it only made sense to for her to fight across the pond again,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Mikaela is still one of the very best fighters in the world, and she demanded a tough fight for her lightweight debut. Linardatou has proven herself at the world-class level and should give Mikaela a run for her money.”
Mayer (17-1, 5 KOs), a 2016 U.S. Olympian, signed with Top Rank in 2017 and captured the WBO junior lightweight championship with a unanimous decision victory against Ewa Brodnicka in October 2020. The following year, the Los Angeles native unified the WBO and IBF titles in an action-packed slugfest against Maiva Hamadouche. In her last fight, Mayer suffered the first defeat of her career, a razor-thin split decision setback to Alycia Baumgardner at London’s O2 Arena. Mayer wants to reverse her lone defeat, but she’ll first step up to lightweight to face Linardatou, the only woman to defeat Baumgardner in the paid ranks.
Mayer said, “The second I returned to the U.S. after my last fight in London, I called my team and told them to get me a fight ASAP. I didn’t want to wait, and I didn’t want to fight anyone other than a top contender! I’m hungry and motivated to prove that I’m still the best. When Top Rank sealed the deal with the tough and experienced Christina Linardatou, I was excited and inspired. She’s an aggressive, come-forward fighter, which is going to force me use all my tools. I always love the energy and support I get when visiting the UK, and I’m excited to come back and give everyone a great fight.”
Linardatou (14-2, 6 KOs) was born in the Dominican Republic but moved to Greece as a young child, where she developed her love for boxing. When she was 26, she returned to her native country to begin her pro career with a first-round technical knockout over Claribel Ferreras. The 34-year-old remained undefeated until unsuccessfully challenging Delfine Persoon for the WBC lightweight world title in 2016. Linardatou bounced back with four more wins, including a victory over Baumgardner and a win against Kandi Wyatt to capture the vacant WBO junior welterweight championship. Linardatou lost her 140-pound belt to Katie Taylor in 2019 but regained that title with a unanimous decision over Prisca Vicot in February 2020. Linardatou returned from a 29-month layoff last July, winning a six-round decision over Aleksandra Vujovic.
Linardatou said, “I’m excited to be fighting Mikaela. She is coming off a loss to Alycia Baumgardner, whom I easily beat some years ago. I know she will be looking to make a statement in this fight. This is my first big fight after having a baby, which means my mission is different. Prior to having a baby, I would fight for titles and money. Now, I am fighting for legacy and to show my son how great his mom is.”
Props to Joyce for facing a dangerous opponent when he's close to a title shot.
