Nigerian-British-born heavyweight boxer Joe Joyce recently suffered a brutal defeat at the hands of Chinese star Zhilei Zeng.
Joyce, who held the WBO heavyweight mandatory status and interim championship, lost his unbeaten record in devastating fashion when the referee stopped the fight in the sixth round due to a severe injury to his right eye.
The footage of the fight showed that Joyce’s eye had become incredibly swollen after Zeng landed several power-packed blows early in the bout. The defeat has thrown his world-title claims into jeopardy, and it is uncertain if a rematch between the pair is on the cards at this stage.
However, what many people may not know is that Joyce also narrowly escaped permanent blindness in his left eye during the fight. Zeng landed a punch to Joyce’s right eye, causing significant damage that left Joyce’s vision blurry and impaired.
Joyce’s team immediately noticed the damage and feared that the injury could be career-ending. However, the fighter bravely soldiered on, refusing to let his injury get the better of him.
Speaking after the fight, Joyce said: “It was a tough fight. I could have done better, but credit to Zhilei Zeng for giving me a good fight. He’s a good fighter, and he hits hard. Unfortunately, I suffered a severe injury to my left eye, and I also took a big hit to my right eye. It was a close call, but I’m grateful that I didn’t suffer permanent damage to my right eye.”
News About Nigeria understands that Joyce’s brave performance has earned him the respect of fans and fellow fighters alike. Despite suffering a devastating loss and narrowly avoiding permanent damage to his right eye, he remains determined to continue his career in the ring.
It remains to be seen what Joyce’s next move will be following this setback, but his resilience and fighting spirit will undoubtedly inspire many young boxers across the globe.
