Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Photos: Joe Joyce’s four-knockdown stoppage of Christian Hammer on Saturday in London.
Joe Joyce survived some shaky moments in the first few rounds to put Christian Hammer down four times and stop him in Round 4 Saturday in London.
Here are images from the fight. All photos by James Chance of Getty Images.
Joe Joyce stopped game, but overmatched Chrisian Hammer in four rounds Saturday in London.
Joe Joyce wasn’t perfect but he was much too much for Christian Hammer.
Joyce put his overmatched opponent down four times before the fight was stopped in the fourth round of a scheduled 12-rounder Saturday night at OVO Arena Wembley.
The unbeaten heavyweight contender hadn’t been in the ring since he stopped Carlos Takam in six rounds almost exactly a year ago.
He was expected to face former titleholder Joseph Parker in what would’ve been an important fight between elite big men but Parker pulled out and was replaced by Hammer, a durable 34-year-journeyman who has lost his biggest fights.
Joyce (14-0, 13 KOs) looked in the first few rounds like someone who hadn’t fought in a year. He came out firing, as “Juggernaut” always does, but Hammer (27-10, 17 KOs) landed a series of hard right hands that got everyone’s attention.
The 36-year-old Londoner began to find a grove and Hammer began to fade by Round 3, though.
In the final seconds of that round a grazing punch from Joyce to the top or back of Hammer’s head put him onto one knee for the first of the four knockdowns.
The onslaught got underway in earnest about 15 seconds into Round 4, when a body shot again forced Hammer to take a knee. He took a knee a third time as a result of a flurry of shots. And he got into his familiar position once more after taking a vicious left to the gut.
And that was it. Referee Phil Austin had seen enough and stopped the fight. The official time was 1:20 of Round 4.
Thus, Joyce, ranked No. 1 by the WBO and No. 2 by the WBC, solidified his position as a legitimate title challenger. When he will get a shot at a major belt is anyone’s guess.
He has reserved Sept. 24 as the date of his next fight, although he has yet to secure an opponent. He hopes his big opportunity will come after that, perhaps against the winner the Aug. 20 rematch between titleholder Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua.
“I’m top level,” Joyce said. “I’m ready for the world stage. I’m a proper heavyweight. I’m fit, I got an engine, I got a chin, a big heart and big cojones, as well. I’m ready for all comers. I’m looking to fight possibly the winner of the AJ-Usyk fight or maybe [WBC beltholder] Tyson Fury.
“I’m at that level. It’s a shame Parker couldn’t make it tonight. Let’s see what happens.”
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Joe Joyce stopped game, but overmatched Chrisian Hammer in four rounds Saturday in London.
Joe Joyce wasn’t perfect but he was much too much for Christian Hammer.
Joyce put his overmatched opponent down four times before the fight was stopped in the fourth round of a scheduled 12-rounder Saturday night at OVO Arena Wembley.
The unbeaten heavyweight contender hadn’t been in the ring since he stopped Carlos Takam in six rounds almost exactly a year ago.
He was expected to face former titleholder Joseph Parker in what would’ve been an important fight between elite big men but Parker pulled out and was replaced by Hammer, a durable 34-year-journeyman who has lost his biggest fights.
Joyce (14-0, 13 KOs) looked in the first few rounds like someone who hadn’t fought in a year. He came out firing, as “Juggernaut” always does, but Hammer (27-10, 17 KOs) landed a series of hard right hands that got everyone’s attention.
The 36-year-old Londoner began to find a grove and Hammer began to fade by Round 3, though.
In the final seconds of that round a grazing punch from Joyce to the top or back of Hammer’s head put him onto one knee for the first of the four knockdowns.
The onslaught got underway in earnest about 15 seconds into Round 4, when a body shot again forced Hammer to take a knee. He took a knee a third time as a result of a flurry of shots. And he got into his familiar position once more after taking a vicious left to the gut.
And that was it. Referee Phil Austin had seen enough and stopped the fight. The official time was 1:20 of Round 4.
Thus, Joyce, ranked No. 1 by the WBO and No. 2 by the WBC, solidified his position as a legitimate title challenger. When he will get a shot at a major belt is anyone’s guess.
He has reserved Sept. 24 as the date of his next fight, although he has yet to secure an opponent. He hopes his big opportunity will come after that, perhaps against the winner the Aug. 20 rematch between titleholder Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua.
“I’m top level,” Joyce said. “I’m ready for the world stage. I’m a proper heavyweight. I’m fit, I got an engine, I got a chin, a big heart and big cojones, as well. I’m ready for all comers. I’m looking to fight possibly the winner of the AJ-Usyk fight or maybe [WBC beltholder] Tyson Fury.
“I’m at that level. It’s a shame Parker couldn’t make it tonight. Let’s see what happens.”
[lawrence-related id=31276]
Zolani Tete looked like the champion of old in his knockout victory over Jason Cunningham on Saturday in London.
Zolani Tete proved in brutal fashion that he has more go give in the ring.
The 34-year-old former two-division titleholder knocked out Jason Cunningham in the fourth round of a scheduled 12-round 122-pound fight on the Joe Joyce-Christian Hammer card Saturday in London.
Tete (29-4, 22 KOs) lost his 118-pound title by a third-round knockout against John Riel Casimero in November 2019. That and a two-year hiatus from the sport led some to believe that the South African’s days as elite fighter were over.
And a first-round knockout of journeyman Iddi Kayumba last December — more than two years after the Casimero setback — proved little.
However, he looked as good as ever against a hot fighter in Cunningham (31-7, 7 KOs) at OVO Arena Wembley.
Tete,a southpaw, controlled the first three rounds with his jab, which was the calm before a short, but violent storm.
The beginning of the end was a perfect straight left to the chin in opening seconds of Round 4, which put Cunningham on his behind and hurt him badly.
Cunningham was able to get up and continue fighting but a flurry of hard punches from Tete — punctuated by a short left — put the loser down violently once again.
Referee Howard Foster stopped the fight a moment after Cunningham’s head hit the canvas. The official time was 34 seconds into Round 4.
Tete somehow was ranked by the WBO going into the fight but, after his emphatic victory on Saturday, he’s now a legitimate contender at junior featherweight.
Zolani Tete looked like the champion of old in his knockout victory over Jason Cunningham on Saturday in London.
Zolani Tete proved in brutal fashion that he has more go give in the ring.
The 34-year-old former two-division titleholder knocked out Jason Cunningham in the fourth round of a scheduled 12-round 122-pound fight on the Joe Joyce-Christian Hammer card Saturday in London.
Tete (29-4, 22 KOs) lost his 118-pound title by a third-round knockout against John Riel Casimero in November 2019. That and a two-year hiatus from the sport led some to believe that the South African’s days as elite fighter were over.
And a first-round knockout of journeyman Iddi Kayumba last December — more than two years after the Casimero setback — proved little.
However, he looked as good as ever against a hot fighter in Cunningham (31-7, 7 KOs) at OVO Arena Wembley.
Tete,a southpaw, controlled the first three rounds with his jab, which was the calm before a short, but violent storm.
The beginning of the end was a perfect straight left to the chin in opening seconds of Round 4, which put Cunningham on his behind and hurt him badly.
Cunningham was able to get up and continue fighting but a flurry of hard punches from Tete — punctuated by a short left — put the loser down violently once again.
Referee Howard Foster stopped the fight a moment after Cunningham’s head hit the canvas. The official time was 34 seconds into Round 4.
Tete somehow was ranked by the WBO going into the fight but, after his emphatic victory on Saturday, he’s now a legitimate contender at junior featherweight.
Joe Joyce vs. Chrisitan Hammer: date, time, how to watch, background.
Unbeaten heavyweight contender Joe Joyce will face Christian Hammer in a stay-busy fight Saturday night in London.
JOE JOYCE (13-0, 12 KOS) VS. CHRISTIAN HAMMER (27-9, 17 KOS)
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Joe Joyce vs. Chrisitan Hammer: date, time, how to watch, background.
Unbeaten heavyweight contender Joe Joyce will face Christian Hammer in a stay-busy fight Saturday night in London.
JOE JOYCE (13-0, 12 KOS) VS. CHRISTIAN HAMMER (27-9, 17 KOS)
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Heavyweight contender Joe Joyce is staying busy as he waits for an elusive opportunity to take part in a big fight.
Joe Joyce has learned that big opportunities can be hard to come by.
The heavyweight contender and 2016 Olympic silver medalist was expected to fight Oleksandr Usyk two years ago and Joseph Parker this year but both fights fell through, with Usyk going on to take Anthony Joshua’s titles in a stunning upset.
Joyce (13-0, 12 KOs) recorded a break-through victory when he stopped Daniel Dubois in November 2020 but, so far, it hasn’t led to anything substantial.
The 36-year-old Londoner will face journeyman Christian Hammer (27-9, 17 KOs) – a replacement for Parker – on Saturday at the OVO Arena Wembley (ESPN+ in the U.S.). In the meantime, he’ll continue to target his top rivals and wait.
Of course, that includes WBC titleholder Tyson Fury, which whom he has sparred. Joyce is ranked No. 2 by that sanctioning body, behind Fury and No. 1 Deontay Wilder.
Joyce likes his chances against the top big man.
“I agree with him on one thing: None of the others stand a chance against him,” Joyce told The Sun. “I am the only one that can beat him if he ever took the challenge.”
Joyce is the No. 1 contender to WBO champion Usyk, who is scheduled to face Joshua a second time on Sept. 25.
Fury probably will be first in line to face the Usyk-Joshua winner in what would be an enormous event. However, if that doesn’t happen for whatever reason, Joyce would be a leading candidate.
He’d be happy to face either man.
“I’m No 1 with the WBO and when Usyk beats Joshua again I’ll show you how a proper heavyweight in 10-ounce gloves deals with a man who lost to a welterweight (Shawn Porter) in the amateurs,” he said.
And if Joshua turns the tables on Usyk?
“If by some miracle Joshua beats Usyk,” Joyce said, “He will have to face me or vacate the belt. His chin has gone and I don’t think his heart is fully in the game any more — he’s a businessman more interested in lecturing students.”
Joyce has said he, too, will fight next in September. Who will he face? He holds out hope of still fighting Parker but that seems unlikely after the Kiwi expressed interest in fighting Dillian Whyte a second time.
That means Joyce probably will have to wait even longer for a big fight.
[lawrence-related id=31194,22112,15846]
Heavyweight contender Joe Joyce is staying busy as he waits for an elusive opportunity to take part in a big fight.
Joe Joyce has learned that big opportunities can be hard to come by.
The heavyweight contender and 2016 Olympic silver medalist was expected to fight Oleksandr Usyk two years ago and Joseph Parker this year but both fights fell through, with Usyk going on to take Anthony Joshua’s titles in a stunning upset.
Joyce (13-0, 12 KOs) recorded a break-through victory when he stopped Daniel Dubois in November 2020 but, so far, it hasn’t led to anything substantial.
The 36-year-old Londoner will face journeyman Christian Hammer (27-9, 17 KOs) – a replacement for Parker – on Saturday at the OVO Arena Wembley (ESPN+ in the U.S.). In the meantime, he’ll continue to target his top rivals and wait.
Of course, that includes WBC titleholder Tyson Fury, which whom he has sparred. Joyce is ranked No. 2 by that sanctioning body, behind Fury and No. 1 Deontay Wilder.
Joyce likes his chances against the top big man.
“I agree with him on one thing: None of the others stand a chance against him,” Joyce told The Sun. “I am the only one that can beat him if he ever took the challenge.”
Joyce is the No. 1 contender to WBO champion Usyk, who is scheduled to face Joshua a second time on Sept. 25.
Fury probably will be first in line to face the Usyk-Joshua winner in what would be an enormous event. However, if that doesn’t happen for whatever reason, Joyce would be a leading candidate.
He’d be happy to face either man.
“I’m No 1 with the WBO and when Usyk beats Joshua again I’ll show you how a proper heavyweight in 10-ounce gloves deals with a man who lost to a welterweight (Shawn Porter) in the amateurs,” he said.
And if Joshua turns the tables on Usyk?
“If by some miracle Joshua beats Usyk,” Joyce said, “He will have to face me or vacate the belt. His chin has gone and I don’t think his heart is fully in the game any more — he’s a businessman more interested in lecturing students.”
Joyce has said he, too, will fight next in September. Who will he face? He holds out hope of still fighting Parker but that seems unlikely after the Kiwi expressed interest in fighting Dillian Whyte a second time.
That means Joyce probably will have to wait even longer for a big fight.
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Fight Week: Joe Joyce will fight Chrisitan Hammer in London. Meanwhile, in Australia, Mairis Briedis will face his mandatory challenger.
Heavyweight contender Joe Joyce will return against Christian Hammer on Saturday in London. Meanwhile, Mairis Briedis will defend his 200-pound title against Jai Opetaia the same day in Australia.
JOE JOYCE (13-0, 12 KOS) VS. CHRISTIAN HAMMER (27-9, 17 KOS)
MAIRIS BRIEDIS (28-1, 20 KOS) VS. JAI OPETAIA (21-0, 17 KOS)
ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK
SATURDAY
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