Joe Joyce suffers second straight loss to Zhilei Zhang in devastating fashion
Joe Joyce suffered a second straight loss to Zhilei Zhang on Saturday, as the Chinese heavyweight stopped the Briton once again. Zhang, 40, dominated Joyce in April, damaging the 38-year-old’s eye to the point of closure and sealing a sixth-round stoppage. And when the pair returned to London on Saturday, it took Zhang just three rounds to repeat the trick at Wembley Arena. Joyce looked tentative throughout the first three rounds, hesitant to engage and troubled by Zhang’s output. Then, in the final seconds of Round 3, Zhang threw a left cross and landed a devastating right hook, dropping Joyce heavily. It was the first time in the Briton’s career that he had hit the canvas, and he narrowly failed to beat the referee’s count after the bell sounded. With the result, Zhang retained the WBO interim title that he took from Joyce in April, meaning a clash with official champion Oleksandr Usyk may be next for “Big Bang”. Meanwhile, there will be questions over Joyce’s place at the top level after back-to-back stoppage losses. At the very least, the 38-year-old faces a tough route back towards a world-title fight, without much time to secure one. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Joyce vs Zhang LIVE: Fight result after devastating knockout tonight David Haye: Joe Joyce must beat Zhilei Zhang to forge ahead in heavyweight division Desperation and danger: Joe Joyce revisits risky Zhilei Zhang clash
2023-09-24 07:19
Harper's 20th homer sparks Phillies to 7-5 come-from-behind win over Mets
Bryce Harper sparked Philadelphia’s comeback from a two-run deficit by reaching 20 homers for the ninth time, leading the Phillies over the New York Mets 7-5 for their fourth straight win
2023-09-24 07:19
Joe Boyle gets his first win, Esteury Ruiz homers as Athletics top Tigers 4-1
Joe Boyle had five strikeouts in six innings for his first career win, Esteury Ruiz hit a two-run home run, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Detroit Tigers 4-1
2023-09-24 07:18
Ireland edges South Africa in Rugby World Cup clash of titans. England romp and Portugal draw
Ireland has defeated defending champion South Africa 13-8 in a No. 1 vs
2023-09-24 06:55
Cubs manager David Ross texts Pittsburgh skipper Derek Shelton about his comments
Chicago Cubs manager David Ross has reached out to Derek Shelton after the Pittsburgh skipper took exception to Ross’ description of the Pirates
2023-09-24 06:50
Browns running back Nick Chubb is believed to have only 1 torn ligament, AP source says
Cleveland Browns star running back Nick Chubb is believed to have suffered only a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee, which is an injury that should not be career-threatening
2023-09-24 06:46
TCU's Sonny Dykes takes jabs at refs, SMU after beating former school again
TCU coach Sonny Dykes is a little salty when it comes to his school's rivalry with SMU
2023-09-24 06:27
MATCHDAY: Real Madrid visits Atletico in their first derby of the season, PSG hosts Marseille
Real Madrid visits Atletico Madrid in their first derby of the season in the Spanish league
2023-09-24 06:17
Operator of bus involved in fatal New York crash was listed by the state as an 'unacceptable operator' after failing several safety inspections
The transportation company that owns the bus involved in a fatal crash in New York this week while bringing high school students to a band camp was listed as an "unacceptable operator" by the state after failing several safety inspections since 2022.
2023-09-24 06:16
Angels' Tyler Anderson to finish season on IL with knee soreness
Los Angeles Angels left-hander Tyler Anderson will not start as scheduled on Sunday and will be placed on the injured list with left knee soreness, ending his first season with the Angels
2023-09-24 06:16
Cody Bellinger hits tiebreaking sacrifice fly as Chicago Cubs beat Colorado Rockies 6-3
Cody Bellinger hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the seventh inning, and the Chicago Cubs topped the Colorado Rockies 6-3 to improve their position in the NL wild-card standings
2023-09-24 05:53
Mauricio Pochettino believes PSG stint stood him in good stead for Chelsea job
Mauricio Pochettino thinks the 18 months he spent in charge of Paris St Germain kitted him out to tackle the complicated task of turning Chelsea’s fortunes around. Under the Argentinian, PSG were crowned Ligue 1 champions in 2022 having missed out to Lille the previous campaign after he had replaced the sacked Thomas Tuchel mid-season. Crucially he failed to land the club’s Qatari owners the prize they most coveted, the Champions League, losing in the semi-final to Manchester City in 2021 and to Real Madrid in the last-16 the following year. It was reported that Pochettino never felt that he enjoyed full authority over the club’s star-studded squad, and was kept by the hierarchy from reining in the erratic behaviour of certain big-name players. He left in the summer of 2022 and did not work in football again until accepting the job of piecing together Chelsea owner Todd Boehly’s expensively assembled side in June. He said the experience of managing in the famously chaotic environment of the French champions helped him as a coach, but acknowledged that the challenge he faces at Stamford Bridge is of a different order. “I think it helps,” said Pochettino. “It helps to take things in a different way. Of course, experience is a really important point in football, in how you are going to deal with things. “It would be arrogant to say that because I was there, now I can manage everything. The demands always are completely different. “But when you add experience and experience of different clubs, different countries, different cultures, I think it gives us the capacity as a coaching staff to help in a better way the players and then the club that wants to develop some new ideas or new projects, like we are now doing.” It would be arrogant to say that because I was there, now I can manage everything. The demands always are completely different Mauricio Pochettino on his time at PSG Chelsea face Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on Sunday when Pochettino will come up against another coach who knows intimately the unique demands of life at PSG, Unai Emery. Emery managed the club for two seasons between 2016-18, winning the title in his second year but joining the list of coaches unable to fulfil the club’s frustrated Champions League ambitions, twice going out in the last 16. He returned Villa to Europe for the first time in 12 years last season, finishing seventh in the Premier League after taking over from Steven Gerrard in October. “For myself and for Unai, (the job) is not to prove anything,” said Pochettino. “I think it is to try to help (our) clubs to achieve what the clubs want. I never feel that I need to prove something. “We (Pochettino and assistant Jesus Perez) arrived at PSG and in one year and a half we won three (trophies). We proved that we can win. “But you can win with a team that normally wins when you are in a project ready to win. In that case, Unai and myself are building something. He is building at Aston Villa a very nice project, and we are starting to build a very good project for the long-term at Chelsea. “I think it’s not easy to win with PSG, it’s not easy to win with different clubs. We need to give the credit for the coaches and players that win with different teams, because for different reasons, you feel the pressure in a club like PSG. You cannot (have) any excuses. “But the Premier League is the most important competition and the most competitive, and if you can win here, I think the feeling for sure that the credit is bigger.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Bruno Fernandes scores stunner as Man Utd beat Burnley to end losing run Henry Arundell impresses his captain with five-star show as England rout Chile I’ll relish this’ says Dominic Calvert-Lewin after Everton break their duck
2023-09-24 05:52
