On September 24, 2023, a high-profile boxing match is about to be staged in the boxing ring in the United Kingdom, and Chinese boxer Zhang Zhilei will face his opponent Joyce in a WBO heavyweight transition world title rematch. And before this game, an unexpected victory had put Zhang Zhilei in the spotlight. In their first meeting five months ago, Zhang Zhilei not only defeated Joyce, but also injured his opponent's eye and won an unpopular match that shocked the world. However, the joy at the time seemed to have been overwhelmed by the unfair distribution of appearance fees.
The outbreak of this incident stemmed from the appearance fee announced by two foreign media. One media outlet claimed that Zhang Zhilei and Joyce each had an appearance fee of $500,000, which seemed like a fair deal. However, another media outlet, citing documents from the promoter of the competition, showed an outrageous figure: Zhang Zhilei's appearance fee was $600,000, while Joyce's was $668,644. Behind this numerical difference lies an unfairness that cannot be ignored, which has caused the anger of many fans.
Part of the reason for this unfair distribution lies in the choice of competition venue. Although Zhang Zhilei had hoped to host the match in China, due to domestic economic constraints, the match had to accommodate his opponents and chose to play it in Joyce's home stadium, England. This means that although Zhang Zhilei won in the first meeting, he did not enjoy the corresponding financial rewards.
What is even more infuriating is that in the first meeting, Zhang Zhilei's appearance fee was only $350,000, while his opponent Joyce received $500,000, which has caused a certain amount of dissatisfaction. However, as he became more and more good in the game, his value gradually increased, but even so, he still did not get the treatment he deserved.
In this rematch, the choice of referee became a topic of great concern. To be fair, scoring judges come from China, the United Kingdom and South Africa, which is considered relatively neutral. Compared to the controversial referee in the first match, the selection was more impartial, but it also made the match more serious, without any possibility of favoritism.
Zhang Zhilei's future has also become a hot topic of discussion. He is expected to fight for a higher appearance fee, but only if he wins again against Joyce in this rematch. If he succeeds, he will face a showdown with heavyweight boxing stars such as Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, which will greatly increase his worth, but also face greater challenges.
The incident once again highlighted the unfair distribution of appearance fees in boxing. Boxing is a high-stakes sport, boxers put in a lot of effort and risk in the fight, and they deserve to be rewarded. The unfair distribution of appearance fees not only hurts the rights and interests of boxers, but also damages the fairness and impartiality of boxing. We look forward to seeing Zhang Zhilei get the victory and reward he deserves in the match, and we also call for a fairer and more reasonable arrangement of the distribution of appearance fees in boxing matches to make this great sport more glorious. The unfair distribution of appearance fees has caused widespread outrage, and it is time to bring more attention to the issue to prompt reform to happen. In this world of competition and opportunity, we look forward to seeing more boxers enjoy their success fairly without being bound by an unfair distribution of appearance fees. This is also the most sincere respect and support for the sport of boxing.