Simon Jordan believes the decision to take an immediate rematch against Zhilei Zhang critically damaged Joe Joyce’s career. This view has resurfaced following Joyce’s recent 11th-round knockout loss to Artem Suslenkov, which has intensified debate over the 40-year-old’s future in boxing.
Before his back-to-back defeats to Zhang, Joyce was a durable, undefeated heavyweight whose relentless pressure made him a legitimate contender. His standing was high enough that he was being discussed as a potential opponent for the division’s best. “After that fight everyone was putting Joe Joyce up at a certain level, perhaps that he could go with Fury because of his size and because of his engine, because he could go and go and go,” Simon Jordan said on talkSPORT Boxing.
But that momentum ended in April 2023 when Zhang stopped him in six rounds. Instead of rebuilding, Joyce went straight into a second fight five months later and was knocked out in the third. Jordan places the blame for that career choice squarely on Joyce’s team. “Whoever told him, whoever allowed him to take the rematch against Zhilei Zhang took his career and hurt it,” Jordan stated. He added, “I’m not being disrespectful to Frank, but Frank’s the promoter in this instance, and he should never ever, and Adam Morallee should never have allowed Joe to take that rematch against Zhang.”
The loss last Saturday in Moscow was another difficult chapter. Fellow pundit Spencer Oliver described the performance as hard to watch. “This one was very, very sad. He started off right the first couple of rounds, and then he was just getting really knocked from pillar to post,” Oliver said.
The discussion has now shifted from Joyce’s title aspirations to his personal health. His come-forward fighting style, which relies on absorbing punishment, is no longer sustainable at 40 years old after several damaging knockout losses. The consequences are now a primary concern for observers.
“He’s a lovely guy, Joe Joyce. Best days are behind him. We don’t want to see this. We’re worried about the fella’s health,” Oliver explained. “The way he fights, this isn’t a Ben Whittaker-type fighter that’s stylish. He gets hit.” Joyce has not yet indicated if he will retire, but the pressure to do so is mounting.
