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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Jonathan Gorrie

Chris Eubank Jr responds to Joe Joyce knockout with classy message after Zhilei Zhang defeat

Chris Eubank Jr moved to praise Joe Joyce following his defeat to Zhilei Zhang on Saturday night inside London’s Wembley Arena.

‘The Juggernaut’ fell to a second defeat to the Chinese heavyweight in a matter of months, fairing worse than his initial sixth-round TKO loss in April.

It took ‘Big Bang’ only three rounds to dispose of the 38-year-old, ending a contest he had dominated from the off with a vicious haymaker.

What awaits Joyce next is unclear but Eubank Jr was full of praise. He had entered this kind of ‘must-win’ territory earlier this month too when renewing his rivalry with Liam Smith, only he avenged his defeat with a masterclass performance.

“As a man who knows first hand how hard it is mentally & physically to come off a defeat & go straight into a rematch. Gota give all the respect to @JoeJoyceBoxing,” he wrote on Twitter.

“For getting back in there & putting it all on the line for a shot at glory & redemption. Very few people understand how hard it is to do what you did tonight. Zhang’s a hell of a fighter congratulations to him & keep your head up joe you will be back.”

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