Joe Joyce v Zhilei Zhang II: David Haye backs Brit to make ‘major adjustments’ and ‘raise his game’ in rematch

David Haye is backing Joe Joyce to make some “major adjustments” against Zhilei Zhang in their heavyweight rematch after “miscalculating” the first time around.

Joyce suffered the first loss of his professional career as he was beaten by Zhang, 40, when they met in London earlier this year.

Former heavyweight champion Haye outlined the changes he thinks Joyce needs to make to come out on top this time around.

“It’s a very exciting fight,” Haye told TNT Sports.

“Very few people expected that result [in the first fight]. People started really believing that Joe Joyce can sort of walk through walls and can walk through whatever artillery you let off at him.

“His prior fight against Joseph Parker, he did look like the terminator. Joseph Parker, who is a very, very respected puncher in the heavyweight division, former heavyweight champion, landed some of his best shots and they didn’t make Joe blink.

“I think people started believing in the invincibility side of Joe’s game and it’s a dangerous game because we’re all human. You can’t just accept every shot that comes through you can land and you’re gonna win the fight. It doesn’t work that way. And he found that out, it was a tough lesson to learn.

“He wasn’t able to adjust his technique mid-fight and Zhang put on a great performance, he really did.

“So this time round, Joe is going to need to make some major adjustments in terms of his defence, in terms of picking his punches, not keeping his head straight up in the air, legs, straight eating shots.

“He’s going to have to move his head, get down a little lower.

“Zhang’s a bigger man than him, he doesn’t like the pace, so have a higher pace, but not a pace in which he’s constantly trading, because he’s shown trading against the south paw didn’t really work last time.

“I know Ismael Salas, his coach, is going to really make sure his head’s off that line and he’s throwing good body shots.”

Zhang holds a 25-1 professional record, with his only defeat coming in August 2022 against Filip Hrgovic.

Joyce is 15-1 and will be looking to get back on track with a victory over Zhang.

“If he wins this fight I see a title fight of some description,” said Haye about Joyce.

“I say he hangs on until he gets a title shot or he has a tune up fight against someone who doesn’t really resemble Zhang because that was a brave choice of opponent. That’s literally throw him in against the toughest, most awkward fighter on the planet.

“But Joe’s that guy, he really believes in himself. He believes he’s the best in the world and just needs the opportunity. He thought he could just walk through Zhang and he miscalculated.

“This time around I’m really hoping he uses his athleticism, he’s very explosive and he needs to apply that explosive into his punches and into his punch evasion.

“He needs to get the head moving fast, can’t just stand there like that and he’s getting hit down, getting hit down the middle that doesn’t work against the south paw, but he knows that. He’s watched the fight back and I’m sure he’s a smart lad and he’s going to make the adjustments needed.”

Asked how he things the rematch is going to pan out, Haye said: “It’s going to be very different to the first fight.

“After talking to Joe, he understands what went wrong and why it went wrong and he’s going to make the necessary adjustments.

“I’m hoping there wasn’t too much damage done in that last fight. It’s all good and well having a new game plan but he took a lot of stick in that last fight.

“Joe Joyce has just been about walking through walls, and as entertaining as it is for the fans watching a man just eating leather, every time you get hit it does damage to you.

“It doesn’t make you a better fighter at taking concussive heavyweight punches. So I’d love to see him go out there and show us how good his defensive game is because he’s going to need that. He’s got to raise his game.”