Joe Joyce Grinds Out Late Stoppage Win Over Kash Ali, Gets Career Back on Track

Joe Joyce, 38, had his career on the line tonight after two consecutive defeats to China's Zhilei Zhang. A third loss would have dealt a catastrophic blow to his hopes of returning to the heavyweight division's top. On the other hand, massive underdog Kash Ali, 21-3 (12 KOs), had everything to gain and the opportunity to insert himself into a thriving weight class with a shock victory.

Rather than ploughing forward as usual, Joyce felt his way into the fight, following the retreating Ali around the ring and pawing with heavy but slow shots. One of the major questions that needed answering was whether Zhang had damaged Joyce's previously cast-iron chin irreparably. During the second and third rounds, Ali bounced a series of right hands off Joyce's head to seemingly little effect, suggesting that the Zhang losses may have been a case of styles-making fights.

It was a methodical performance from Joyce, who began to warm into the fight midway through the third round. The rounds followed a pattern: Ali would move, poke with his jab, and wing in the occasional shot before invariably being backed into the ropes, where he would cover up, absorb a clubbing shot or two to the arms and body, and then move away again. Joyce kept moving forward but didn't try to establish his jab, and his right hand was constantly out of range.

At Friday's weigh-in, Joyce tipped the scales at 286 lbs and looked to be carrying every single one. Finally, in the seventh round, Joyce began to up the tempo, getting his feet closer and keeping his hands moving, stabbing away at the body with hard, straight punches and making Ali work at a pace he was uncomfortable with.

Ali's right hand had dried up by the eighth round, and the Birmingham-born fighter was in survival mode. As Ali's gas tank quickly emptied, Joyce continued to grind away. Ali wasn't hurt by any punch, but the constant thudding shots were taking their toll. He looked close to the finish during the ninth round but survived. Just as the finish line was within sight, Ali was dropped by a short right hand. He got up at ten and a half, but the fight was waved off at 2:53 of the 10th and final round.

With this hard-fought victory, Joe Joyce gets his career back on track and proves he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level in the heavyweight division.