Joe Joyce Vs. Zhilei Zhang: Odds, Records, Prediction

It’s time to really figure out where to place Joe Joyce in the heavyweight rankings. Heading into his fight on Saturday vs. the undefeated Zhilei Zhang, he’s clearly in the top-five. But could you place him above Deontay Wilder? Or Anthony Joshua? Is Joyce a future champion who could eventually challenge Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk for heavyweight supremacy? His performance Saturday could help us determine all of that. Here’s everything you need to know about Joe Joyce vs. Zhilei Zhang, including the odds, their records and a prediction on who will win.

Joyce, coming off one of the biggest victories of his career vs. Joseph Parker, has now proven he can beat a former world titlist. While Zhang hasn’t reached that rare air, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him one day win a belt. If Joyce can beat up Zhang like nobody else has done, that would really say something.

“All the others seem to be running scared or doing their own thing,” Joyce said. “I want the fights to happen. I get how things work with the governing bodies, and I can only just fight who is put in front of me. So, why not fight a good fight and give everyone an entertaining fight against Zhilei Zhang?”

Joyce has been floated as a potential opponent for Fury, and considering both men are British, that could do big business in the UK, probably even more so than Fury vs. Usyk (though there’s likely much more money in the Middle East for the latter matchup). So, yes, it is a risk for Joyce to face the powerful Zhang.

“I respect Zhang’s power, and I won’t be going in there recklessly,” Joyce said. “He’s a southpaw, too. That’s more of a tricky style than what I’m used to.”

For what it’s worth, the last time Joyce faced a left-hander was Lenroy Thomas in 2018, 11 fights ago. Zhang also has respect for Joyce’s ability. But he claimed he’s better-equipped to beat Joyce than any of his previous opponents, especially Parker.

“From the first round of their fight, Joseph Parker fought scared,” Zhang said. “He fought going backward and running around the ring. So, when it comes to direct body contact, there hasn’t been anyone who has hit Joe Joyce with solid punches. But I will land my shots.”

Here’s more info on the Joe Joyce vs. Zhilei Zhang showdown that U.S. viewers can watch on ESPN+ beginning at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Joe Joyce vs. Zhilei Zhang odds

At -1000 (bet $1,000 to win $100), Joyce is a bigger betting favorite than I would make him, and there could be some value in wagering on Zhang as the +600 underdog (win $600 on a $100 wager). I’d rather take Joyce to win by decision at +333 than for him to win by stoppage at -275 (even better is for Joyce to win by unanimous decision at +400). I also like the +275 you can get by wagering on the fight to go all 12 rounds.

Joe Joyce vs. Zhilei Zhang records

The undefeated Joyce has 15 fights, 15 wins and 14 knockouts. The only person to last the distance with him was Bryant Jennings in 2019. But since then, Joyce has knocked out five opponents in a row, including Parker, Daniel Dubois and Carlos Takam. Considering Zhang hasn’t been knocked down since 2015, a Joyce stoppage victory would be impressive.

Zhang’s most important fight actually might have been the one loss on his record. He’s 24-1-1 with 19 KOs, and he’s coming off a close decision defeat to Filip Hrgovic, a big-time puncher who some feel actually should have come away from the Zhang fight with the loss instead of the win. Otherwise, Joyce had a draw with Jerry Forrest. An upset victory vs. Joyce would be, by far, the biggest win of Zhang’s career.

Joe Joyce vs. Zhilei Zhang prediction

Zhang has power, but Joyce has shown an amazing chin so far in this career. Can Zhang outbox Joyce for 12 rounds? I have my doubts. But this should be a fun showdown that will allow Joyce to take another step toward a title shot and will allow Zhang to continue to garner respect despite another loss. Say, Joyce by decision, somewhere in the 116-112 range.