Carl Frampton casts doubt over Joe Joyce's future after Zhilei Zhang loss - 'It is difficult to see where he goes'

Carl Frampton believes the future of Joe Joyce is in doubt after the Brit was brutally knocked out in the third round of his rematch against Zhilei Zhang.

Joyce, 38, was out to avenge the loss he suffered in April against Zhang and had vowed to make adjustments for the second fight, one of which included putting on some additional weight as he went in search of a statement win.

However, he looked out of sorts from the get-go, which allowed Zhang to land a raft of stinging straight-lefts before ending the WBO interim heavyweight showdown in devastating fashion with a right hook that floored his opponent.

"There were no changes made from the last performance, which we all would agree was very, very bad," Frampton said, live on TNT Sports. "I feel for Joe, it's difficult to see where he goes from this point.

"I think maybe he was still feeling a bit of a hangover from the first fight. Maybe too nervous. Maybe knowing deep down in himself that he can't change enough to change the result and change the outcome.

"I feel for Joe but we can't take that away from Zhang. That was an amazing shot to finish, and while the fight lasted, he was brilliant."

Fellow TNT Sports pundit Steve Bunce echoed Frampton’s thoughts and said Joyce looked like a fighter who had been stripped of all his confidence.

Once renowned for having a granite chin, the Brit appeared in protection mode while the bout lasted, perhaps still feeling the psychological effects of the damage suffered to his right eye in the first fight with Zhang.

"Joe didn't look right,” Bunce added. "We were gathered here, we watched him [from] six feet, eight feet away. I said, ‘Look at his face’. Carl and I have never seen him that emotional.

"When I was down ringside with the boys, he didn't look happy at any point. In the second round when he was getting clipped, he was turning away. It was like he didn't trust the right side of his face, it was like he didn't trust himself.

"It was like he didn't trust that once incredible chin that he had. It was like he lost all his confidence. He was fighting like a man who just did not want to be there, and he knew he had to stay there.

"I felt so sorry for him before it ended, and I walked back here with my head down because you know what? He's been a great fighter, Joe. I’ve known him for 10 or 12 years and like Carl, I'm struggling to find a route out."

Speaking after the fight, a visibly drained and disappointed Joyce paid tribute to his opponent, who called out Tyson Fury after landing the WBO interim title.

As for his own future, the 38-year-old quashed talk of retirement and insisted he would be back in the ring after learning from the defeat.

"In my health I'm alright, but you know, I'm not particularly happy with my performance," Joyce told TNT Sports. "I’ll have to watch it back to see where exactly the shot went and just improve ready for next time.

"But Zhang is a good fighter. He’s a fellow silver medallist, a very experienced southpaw. Congratulations to him.

"He's got the win and I have to go back to the drawing board and go another route or something, but I'm definitely going to come back stronger from it."

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