Joe Joyce The Next Fight – Possible Opponents
On Saturday night, Joe Joyce (14-0, 13 KOs) puts Christian Hammer into submission after four kills in four rounds on one side.
Once again, the 2016 Rio Olympic silver medalist may have been scoured too often for some people’s liking, but the combination of his working speed, power and solid chin proved to be too much for his opponent.
‘Juggernaut’ may not be trendy, but he’s effective. A 6’6″ tall man weighing 18 stone, relentlessly unleashed punches that gave any heavyweight in history a tough night.
As things are going, Joyce is currently number 1 with WBO, number 2 with WBC and number 6 with IBF. Therefore, Frank Warren could hardly match anyone so dangerous.
Deontay Wilder (42-2-1, 41 KOs)
I know, I said a few lines above that Joyce would be mindful of facing whoever’s next dangerous, then start this list with the biggest boxer in the tournament, but bear with me. After a devastating knockout victory over Dillian Whyte, the WBC champion, Tyson Fury announces retirement.
That was over two months ago and ‘Gypsy King’ seems more intent on facing MMA fighters in exhibitions than defending its belt against the fighters. Sooner or later, the sanctioning agency will get tired of this situation. If Fury doesn’t get them money, they’ll pass the belt on to someone else. As things are going, the top-ranked candidates in the WBC rankings are Wilder and Joyce.
An vacated title scramble is one of the scenarios where I could see this showdown play out. Wilder has shown some signs of progress in his battle with Fury in his trilogy, under the tutelage of Malik Scott. With so much time together, it is possible that the ‘Bronze Bomber’ has continued to evolve into a fighter aircraft. This is one of the most fun heavyweight fights that can be done: Wilder is vulnerable, but has the power to hurt anyone, Joyce can be hit, but has a chin. It is an unstoppable force relative to an immovable object. Sign me up.
Dillian Whyte (March 28, 19 KOs)
This is included because it can, if not. Dillian Whyte is well known as a freebies salesman who worked with Matchroom on a fighting basis. A domestic showdown between the two heavyweights would certainly be a pay-per-view event, which could make the risk-to-reward ratio in favor of those in Joyce’s business.
If the finances are right, it’s conceivable that Whyte might be tempted to, after all, a win for ‘Body Poachers’ that would see him inherit Joyce’s highest rank. However, after well-documented issues between Frank Warren and Whyte over the heavyweight’s unsuccessful challenge to Fury’s WBC belt, they may be reluctant to work together again.
Whyte is a notoriously tough negotiator, having been unable to reach an agreement to face Anthony Joshua for the WBA, WBO and IBF titles, in 2019. Whyte won the split for a single match. three parts, if he wins the rematch. For now, Whyte’s preference is to go up against Anthony Joshua, regardless of how AJ takes on Oleksandr Usyk next month. However, money talks, but don’t hold your breath.
Otto Wallin (24-1, 14 KOs)
Should Joyce choose to go the WBO route, he will become the mandatory challenger for the winner of the rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua. Ukrainians are the preferred odds with bookies to succeed again. If that fight goes as expected, it makes sense for Joyce to face a nampaw.
‘Juggernaut’ was only up against a professional left-hander when he knocked out Lenroy Thomas in two innings, four years ago. There are few conveyers in the ranks of the heavyweights, which is what makes Wallin such a valuable commodity. Swede doesn’t look like Usyk in style, but may be the best preparation available for a duel with the undisputed former cruiser champion.
From an advertising standpoint, Wallin can also serve a purpose. The 31-year-old gave Tyson Fury a tougher-than-expected fight in 2019. If Joyce defeated Wallin with ease than ‘King of the Gypsy’, it would create a public hype. they. Wallin was on these shores earlier this year, taking on Kamil Sokolowski on a BOXXER card, which adds to the belief that this showdown could materialize.
Martin Bakole (18-1, 13 KOs)
Bakole’s coach, Billy Nelson, has been calling for this matchup since Joyce turned pro. For a long time, the war was simply too risky with little reward. Bakole is talented, that has never been disputed, but he hasn’t had a notable win. Now, he has one. In May, the Airdrie-based Congolese boxer knocked out Tony Yoka twice on his way to a decisive majority victory. The one-way nature of the match is not reflected in the scorecard.
Of course, Yoka beat Joyce to the Olympic gold medal by a controversial decision at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Nelson and Joyce’s manager, Sam Jones, raised the profile of this fight with those their constant bickering on Twitter. If it ever happened, now is now.
Sadly, Bakole may not pass the risk assessment. Maybe he looks too dangerous against Yoka. However, if Jones had as much faith in his responsibility as he claimed to have in his social media exchanges, it could still happen. One thing is for sure, Billy Nelson will demand that happen every day.
Sergey Kuzmin (17-2, 13 KOs)
Now, this feels more realistic. I’ve included Kuzmin, simply because in terms of advertising it’s going to be instant, but he’s a placeholder for any mediocre heavyweight.
Given Joyce’s prominent position in the WBC and WBO rankings, any further mishaps are highly unlikely. Kuzmin ticked a few boxes; He is known in the UK for stopping David Price, once stopping Joyce for 32 seconds as an amateur (this will be the story used to promote the competition), but has not yet reached his full potential. I am in the professional ranks and am now 35 years old.
It’s probably a high enough fight to win a TV card, but Kuzmin doesn’t pose much of a risk. I can hear the revenge story already.