Joe Joyce suffered a crushing defeat by Zhilei Zhang after a sixth-round stoppage on the Copper Box Arena in London.
Referee Howard Foster known as off the competition with Joyce sustaining important swelling to his proper eye as China’s Zhang secured the WBO interim heavyweight title.
Londoner Joyce, 37, had been anticipated to efficiently defend his place as WBO interim champion, and keep his unbeaten report in his sixteenth bout.
But 39-year-old Zhang’s straight left hand did the injury, leaving Joyce on unsteady legs as early because the opening spherical.
The ringside physician examined Joyce’s broken eye earlier than the beginning of the sixth, and he was known as for a second time throughout the identical spherical earlier than Foster stopped the struggle.
“I am disappointed with my performance,” mentioned Joyce, the 2016 Olympic silver medallist. “It was a good fight, but I could have done better.
“I have not fought against a southpaw for so long. Credit to him. He is a good fighter and I gave it my all.
“But I expected to win. I would like to apologise to all my fans and my supporters. I will be back and my journey is not over.”
