Joe Joyce vs Zhilei Zhang: Date, UK start time, live stream, TV channel

Ode to Joy

Joe Joyce reckons he is so well versed in boxing politics he could do a job as MP for Putney.

The 37-year-old West London heavyweight was robbed of a 2016 Olympic gold by dubious judging.

And now he has to wait in line while Daniel Dubois, who he beat in 2020, gets a crack at Oleksandr Usyk’s WBA, IBF and WBO belts ahead of him.

Thankfully, while Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder drop in the popularity polls over their ducking or delays, the unbeaten Juggernaut is taking huge fights.

But the bachelor of fine arts could have had a degree in boxing’s dark arts by now and manages a smile when asked how he copes with the frustrating hurt business.

Ahead of his Copper Box showdown with 6ft, 6in Chinese southpaw Zhilei Zhang, Joyce told SunSport: “Again with the boxing politics, it seems to be the bane of my f*g career.

“I have never had it easy, going back to those Olympic finals. And now I have to meander through the pro game, walking through opponents and jumping over hurdles just to fight the top guys.

“I reckon I could do a job as an MP after all this, I have ended up having to be quite the diplomat.

“I’ve talked about going back to university after the boxing career to do an art Masters but maybe I’ll retrain and take my politics experience into a ­second job.”