JOE JOYCE’S world title dreams were shut down with his battered right eye.
The Londoner just needed to come through Chinese southpaw Zhilei Zhang, 39, to secure a summer showdown with Dillian Whyte — before finally securing a shot at glory in the winter.
But he made a typically terrible start to the bout, was on the back foot for almost every moment of the six one-sided rounds and had to be pulled out by the referee on advice from the doctor.
The fact he was still standing after the second round was incredible but Joyce’s famously solid chin just meant his eyes were left to absorb all of the punishment.
With Joyce’s mother registered blind, the idea of him suffering serious long-term damage was too much to bear for anyone watching with knowledge of the family.
So there was relief when the Rio 2016 Olympic silver winner was withdrawn from the fight — without going out on his shield.
The fallen warrior, 37, said: “I am disappointed with my performance. I could not get out of the way of his shots.”
Joyce is a famously slow starter and gave his Copper Box fans a trademark fright with a slug of an opener.
Big Bang Zhang landed a huge right hook and a left that would have felled a tree.
But the freakishly firm Putney ace swallowed the blows and landed a meaty straight right to calm fans’ nerves.
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The second was a disaster, too. Zhang landed a violent combination that almost sent Joyce tumbling out of the ring.
The right eye was closing as soon as the third started, making it even harder to spot Zhang’s giant left-handers coming over the top.
Every counter left from the 2008 silver medallist seemed to buzz the Brit, whose nose was streaming and whose right eye was closing into a slit.
A stone lighter than when he last fought, Joyce was being bullied by the 19st visitor.
It took four rounds for him to have any success at all and, even then, Zhang snatched back control of the round.
By the fifth Joyce’s right eye was gone, he was blinded and it was costing him his accuracy and balance, as well as his sight.
The ringside doctor checked it but he let the sixth start — only to then advise referee Howard Foster to wave it off.
Joyce added: “I apologise to all the fans who came out.
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“I gave it my all but I can do better. I expected to win.
“My journey is not over. This is just a hurdle I may have tripped over. I’ll be back.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
