Tag: Joe Joyce

Oleksandr Usyk could fight Joe Joyce for ‘interim’ title: Frank Warren

Oleksandr Usyk could fight Joe Joyce for the WBO ‘interim’ title, according to promoter Frank Warren.

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Joe Joyce? It’s possible.

Usyk, the mandatory challenger to Anthony Joshua’s WBO heavyweight title, has thus far refused — at least publicly — to step aside so Joshua can fight Tyson Fury for all four major belts in a two-fight series.

However, Frank Warren, Joyce’s promoter, told IFL TV that talks between his No. 2-ranked client and Usyk for the sanctioning body’s “interim” title are underway. Of course, Usyk would have to agree to that.

“We’re working on at the moment, Usyk and Joe Joyce,” Warren said. “I think the WBO will order that as an interim title fight, so we’re working hard to make that happen. The situation is that the WBO have said they’d like to do that fight as an eliminator.

“We have no objection to that, and I don’t think Usyk has. There’s been some preliminary talks and we’ll see where we go from there. I hope [the fight happen]. It’s a good fight and I think whoever wins it, based on his last performance, Joe’s looking really good.

“If he comes through it, it puts the winner in a tremendous position. The eventual winner of the two fights between Tyson and A.J. will have to defend against Joyce or Usyk, or vacate the belt.”

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Usyk (18-0, 13 KOs) has suggested he would force Joshua to vacate the title — or get stripped — rather than stepping aside.

The Ukrainian is a former unified cruiserweight champion who is 2-0 as a heavyweight, having stopped Chazz Witherspoon in October 2019 and outpointed Derek Chisora this past October.

Joyce (12-0, 11 KOs) is coming off a break-through 10th-round knockout of Daniel Dubois in November, which put him in the title picture.

Oleksandr Usyk could fight Joe Joyce for ‘interim’ title: Frank Warren

Oleksandr Usyk could fight Joe Joyce for the WBO ‘interim’ title, according to promoter Frank Warren.

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Joe Joyce? It’s possible.

Usyk, the mandatory challenger to Anthony Joshua’s WBO heavyweight title, has thus far refused — at least publicly — to step aside so Joshua can fight Tyson Fury for all four major belts in a two-fight series.

However, Frank Warren, Joyce’s promoter, told IFL TV that talks between his No. 2-ranked client and Usyk for the sanctioning body’s “interim” title are underway. Of course, Usyk would have to agree to that.

“We’re working on at the moment, Usyk and Joe Joyce,” Warren said. “I think the WBO will order that as an interim title fight, so we’re working hard to make that happen. The situation is that the WBO have said they’d like to do that fight as an eliminator.

“We have no objection to that, and I don’t think Usyk has. There’s been some preliminary talks and we’ll see where we go from there. I hope [the fight happen]. It’s a good fight and I think whoever wins it, based on his last performance, Joe’s looking really good.

“If he comes through it, it puts the winner in a tremendous position. The eventual winner of the two fights between Tyson and A.J. will have to defend against Joyce or Usyk, or vacate the belt.”

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Usyk (18-0, 13 KOs) has suggested he would force Joshua to vacate the title — or get stripped — rather than stepping aside.

The Ukrainian is a former unified cruiserweight champion who is 2-0 as a heavyweight, having stopped Chazz Witherspoon in October 2019 and outpointed Derek Chisora this past October.

Joyce (12-0, 11 KOs) is coming off a break-through 10th-round knockout of Daniel Dubois in November, which put him in the title picture.

Anthony Joshua defends Daniel Dubois for ‘quitting’ against Joe Joyce

Anthony Joshua has defended Daniel Dubois for ‘quitting’ against Joe Joyce.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on DAZN.com.

***

Anthony Joshua has spoken out in defense of Daniel Dubois, who has attracted criticism for the manner of his defeat against Joe Joyce.

Joyce won by a 10th-round knockout when Dubois took a knee and stayed in that position after he took a jab to his badly swollen left eye.

Dubois has attracted criticism from some fellow boxers, including Billy Joe Saunders, who claimed he would rather leave the ring without a pulse than take a knee.

It has since been reported that Dubois suffered a fractured orbital bone as well as nerve damage. Joshua has suggested that withdrawing from the fight before its conclusion was an understandable choice.

Speaking in the Sun newspaper, Joshua offered his support.

“If Daniel needs someone to speak to, he should call me,” he said. “It is easy for people to criticize from outside the ring, but some people have been out of order.

“Daniel took a massive risk in taking that fight, as did Joe Joyce. They both knew the dangers and they both put it all on the line. I hear people talking respectfully about tapping out in MMA fights.

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“Then when a boxer stops because his eyeball is about to fall out, they call him a ‘quitter.’ Are they serious? Daniel’s time will come. I believe I will fight both him and Joyce.

“Joyce is underrated. He had a top amateur pedigree and it shows. This is a great time for British heavyweight boxing — it has never been stronger — and those two guys are both a huge part of it.”

Anthony Joshua defends Daniel Dubois for ‘quitting’ against Joe Joyce

Anthony Joshua has defended Daniel Dubois for ‘quitting’ against Joe Joyce.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on DAZN.com.

***

Anthony Joshua has spoken out in defense of Daniel Dubois, who has attracted criticism for the manner of his defeat against Joe Joyce.

Joyce won by a 10th-round knockout when Dubois took a knee and stayed in that position after he took a jab to his badly swollen left eye.

Dubois has attracted criticism from some fellow boxers, including Billy Joe Saunders, who claimed he would rather leave the ring without a pulse than take a knee.

It has since been reported that Dubois suffered a fractured orbital bone as well as nerve damage. Joshua has suggested that withdrawing from the fight before its conclusion was an understandable choice.

Speaking in the Sun newspaper, Joshua offered his support.

“If Daniel needs someone to speak to, he should call me,” he said. “It is easy for people to criticize from outside the ring, but some people have been out of order.

“Daniel took a massive risk in taking that fight, as did Joe Joyce. They both knew the dangers and they both put it all on the line. I hear people talking respectfully about tapping out in MMA fights.

[lawrence-related id=15846]

“Then when a boxer stops because his eyeball is about to fall out, they call him a ‘quitter.’ Are they serious? Daniel’s time will come. I believe I will fight both him and Joyce.

“Joyce is underrated. He had a top amateur pedigree and it shows. This is a great time for British heavyweight boxing — it has never been stronger — and those two guys are both a huge part of it.”

Joe Joyce stops Daniel Dubois with jab in 10th round

Joe Joyce stopped Daniel Dubois in the 10th round of their heavyweight showdown Saturday in Westminster, England.

Joe Joyce’s jab was a key factor throughout his heavyweight showdown against Daniel Dubois on Saturday in Westminster, England. Ultimately, it was the deciding factor.

Joyce, the 35-year-old 2016 Olympic silver medalist, closed the left eye of his 23-year-old opponent by mid-fight and stopped him by landing a stiff jab on the eye 36 seconds into the 10th round of a scheduled 12-rounder.

Joyce (12-0, 11 KOs) won the European, Commonwealth and British heavyweight titles and set himself up for big fights next year.

The fight was give-and-take most of the way. Joyce fought behind his jab, which Dubois (15-1, 14 KOs) had difficulty avoiding. Still, Dubois, known for his power, held his own. He landed a number of big shots, which Joyce was able to take.

With his eye damaged and closing, Dubois began to slow down and seemed more vulnerable in the second half of the fight. Finally, early in Round 10, Joyce landed a jab directly to the damaged eye and Dubois took a knee.

He remained in that position as referee Ian John Lewis reached the count of 10.

“He caught me with a good jab, and the jab was pretty accurate,” Dubois said. “I couldn’t see out of the eye. It just happens, man. I can’t explain it, he just pinged it. I couldn’t see out of it. I was trying my best and it happened.

“I’ve been hit hard but it was the positioning, on the eye. I’m a tough guy. I will come again.”

Joyce attributed his success to his experience.

“I have felt power like that before and with my experience I have learned to ride it and come back,” Joyce said. “And I am blessed with a good chin, so I can keep going and keep moving forward. I felt his power and I was happy to take it, but preferably not take it.

“I started looking at the eye and it was starting to swell up. I was quite comfortable landing [the jab as I] was moving away from his right and trying not to get too close, because that was when he was going to let them go and try not to get backed up on the ropes.”

Joyce is now a legitimate title contender. The good news for Dubois is that he’s young. He’ll probably be back.

Joe Joyce stops Daniel Dubois with jab in 10th round

Joe Joyce stopped Daniel Dubois in the 10th round of their heavyweight showdown Saturday in Westminster, England.

Joe Joyce’s jab was a key factor throughout his heavyweight showdown against Daniel Dubois on Saturday in Westminster, England. Ultimately, it was the deciding factor.

Joyce, the 35-year-old 2016 Olympic silver medalist, closed the left eye of his 23-year-old opponent by mid-fight and stopped him by landing a stiff jab on the eye 36 seconds into the 10th round of a scheduled 12-rounder.

Joyce (12-0, 11 KOs) won the European, Commonwealth and British heavyweight titles and set himself up for big fights next year.

The fight was give-and-take most of the way. Joyce fought behind his jab, which Dubois (15-1, 14 KOs) had difficulty avoiding. Still, Dubois, known for his power, held his own. He landed a number of big shots, which Joyce was able to take.

With his eye damaged and closing, Dubois began to slow down and seemed more vulnerable in the second half of the fight. Finally, early in Round 10, Joyce landed a jab directly to the damaged eye and Dubois took a knee.

He remained in that position as referee Ian John Lewis reached the count of 10.

“He caught me with a good jab, and the jab was pretty accurate,” Dubois said. “I couldn’t see out of the eye. It just happens, man. I can’t explain it, he just pinged it. I couldn’t see out of it. I was trying my best and it happened.

“I’ve been hit hard but it was the positioning, on the eye. I’m a tough guy. I will come again.”

Joyce attributed his success to his experience.

“I have felt power like that before and with my experience I have learned to ride it and come back,” Joyce said. “And I am blessed with a good chin, so I can keep going and keep moving forward. I felt his power and I was happy to take it, but preferably not take it.

“I started looking at the eye and it was starting to swell up. I was quite comfortable landing [the jab as I] was moving away from his right and trying not to get too close, because that was when he was going to let them go and try not to get backed up on the ropes.”

Joyce is now a legitimate title contender. The good news for Dubois is that he’s young. He’ll probably be back.

Joe Joyce: Age difference won’t be factor against younger Daniel Dubois

Joe Joyce says that an age difference won’t be a factor against the younger Daniel Dubois on Saturday.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on DAZN.com.

***

With his long-awaited fight with Daniel Dubois approaching, Joe Joyce has addressed the elephant in the room: The 12-year age gap between the two heavyweight prospects.

Both Dubois and Joyce are regarded as potential world champions with similar degrees of professional fight experience. In fact, 23-year-old Dubois has had more bouts at this level than the 35-year-old Joyce, who remained in the amateurs until aged 31 and won a silver medal at super heavyweight in the 2016 Olympics.

In an interview with World Boxing News, Joyce, who heads into the Nov. 28 main event in Westminster, England, as the underdog, insisted that he and Dubois are evenly matched.

“I don’t feel that old because I only started in the game at the age he is now,” he said. “I feel like I haven’t been in the sport that long and that I have quite a few years ahead of me. But, yeah, this is a big fight and it is a big ladder to the top or a snake where I would have to rebuild.

“So the loser will have to rebuild a little bit, and Daniel has got time more on his side because he is a young pup who would definitely be able to come back. I’d be able to come back too, but I don’t plan to do that.”

The heavyweight scene has slowly returned to life over the last five years following a distinct lack of depth and box office appeal during the decade of dominance by the Klitschko brothers, Wladimir and Vitali.

With two other Brits currently holding all the gold — Anthony Joshua defends his titles against Kubrat Pulev on Dec. 12 while beltholder Tyson Fury is expected to return to action in 2021 — and other contenders jockeying for position, defeat will likely be a considerable setback for whichever of the two loses their “0” on fight night.

“This is my chance to show what I am made of and to progress to the next stage and get a shot to become heavyweight champion,” Joyce said. “That is the route I am going. My aim before was to get to the Olympics and win a medal, so I completed that, although it was meant to be the gold medal and that didn’t happen.

“As a professional, I want to be world champion, and this is the route I need to go down and Dubois is standing in my way right now.”

It will be the first time as a professional that Joyce is the underdog. And he’s OK with that.

“I am not under any pressure because, according to the bookies, Daniel has already won,” he said. “He has made a big name for himself, and he has got the pressure to deliver.

“I don’t know why, but it is OK because it will be better when I beat him, because I will take his scalp.”

An eliminator for the WBO heavyweight strap is a possible prize for the victor.

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Joe Joyce: Age difference won’t be factor against younger Daniel Dubois

Joe Joyce says that an age difference won’t be a factor against the younger Daniel Dubois on Saturday.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on DAZN.com.

***

With his long-awaited fight with Daniel Dubois approaching, Joe Joyce has addressed the elephant in the room: The 12-year age gap between the two heavyweight prospects.

Both Dubois and Joyce are regarded as potential world champions with similar degrees of professional fight experience. In fact, 23-year-old Dubois has had more bouts at this level than the 35-year-old Joyce, who remained in the amateurs until aged 31 and won a silver medal at super heavyweight in the 2016 Olympics.

In an interview with World Boxing News, Joyce, who heads into the Nov. 28 main event in Westminster, England, as the underdog, insisted that he and Dubois are evenly matched.

“I don’t feel that old because I only started in the game at the age he is now,” he said. “I feel like I haven’t been in the sport that long and that I have quite a few years ahead of me. But, yeah, this is a big fight and it is a big ladder to the top or a snake where I would have to rebuild.

“So the loser will have to rebuild a little bit, and Daniel has got time more on his side because he is a young pup who would definitely be able to come back. I’d be able to come back too, but I don’t plan to do that.”

The heavyweight scene has slowly returned to life over the last five years following a distinct lack of depth and box office appeal during the decade of dominance by the Klitschko brothers, Wladimir and Vitali.

With two other Brits currently holding all the gold — Anthony Joshua defends his titles against Kubrat Pulev on Dec. 12 while beltholder Tyson Fury is expected to return to action in 2021 — and other contenders jockeying for position, defeat will likely be a considerable setback for whichever of the two loses their “0” on fight night.

“This is my chance to show what I am made of and to progress to the next stage and get a shot to become heavyweight champion,” Joyce said. “That is the route I am going. My aim before was to get to the Olympics and win a medal, so I completed that, although it was meant to be the gold medal and that didn’t happen.

“As a professional, I want to be world champion, and this is the route I need to go down and Dubois is standing in my way right now.”

It will be the first time as a professional that Joyce is the underdog. And he’s OK with that.

“I am not under any pressure because, according to the bookies, Daniel has already won,” he said. “He has made a big name for himself, and he has got the pressure to deliver.

“I don’t know why, but it is OK because it will be better when I beat him, because I will take his scalp.”

An eliminator for the WBO heavyweight strap is a possible prize for the victor.

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Daniel Dubois vs. Joe Joyce confirmed for Nov. 28

Daniel Dubois’ long-awaited fight with Joe Joyce has been confirmed for Nov. 28 by promoter Frank Warren.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on DAZN.com.

***

The long-awaited clash between Daniel Dubois and Joe Joyce has been confirmed for Nov. 28 by promoter Frank Warren.

Warren said the show would not be a pay-per-view event, which was a surprise. It will be televised on BT Sport in the U.K.

Carrying the slogan “At Last”, the fight will be one of the most anticipated matchups in British boxing this year. Previous dates for Dubois (15-0, 14 KOs) vs. Joyce (11-0, 10 KOs) in April, July and October were all canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Warren said that the decision not to charge a pay-per-view fee was made in recognition of the economic downturn suffered by many Britons.

“This is about keeping boxing alive and relevant at a tough time and doing something for the fans, and we have moved heaven and earth to put this on as a BT Sport subscription ‘Fight Night’ instead,” he said.

“With boxing still being behind closed doors and struggling back to its feet post-lockdown, I wanted to give something of a gift to British boxing fans. Dubois versus Joyce is the best fight on the British boxing calendar, and I want this to be something as many people as possible can enjoy.

“It’s a bonus that the added exposure gained from the fight will really help the boxers as they move forward with their careers. Above all, this is about making sure that the fans are looked after and this fight will be available to BT Sport subscribers.”

Warren went on: “I owe a huge debt of gratitude to BT Sport for being willing to make this happen. I sound like a broken record I’m sure, but sometimes you have to put the sport and the fans first. Queensberry gets that and BT Sport gets that.”

Dubois will put his Commonwealth and British heavyweight belts on the line and they will also fight for the European heavyweight title.

Daniel Dubois vs. Joe Joyce confirmed for Nov. 28

Daniel Dubois’ long-awaited fight with Joe Joyce has been confirmed for Nov. 28 by promoter Frank Warren.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on DAZN.com.

***

The long-awaited clash between Daniel Dubois and Joe Joyce has been confirmed for Nov. 28 by promoter Frank Warren.

Warren said the show would not be a pay-per-view event, which was a surprise. It will be televised on BT Sport in the U.K.

Carrying the slogan “At Last”, the fight will be one of the most anticipated matchups in British boxing this year. Previous dates for Dubois (15-0, 14 KOs) vs. Joyce (11-0, 10 KOs) in April, July and October were all canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Warren said that the decision not to charge a pay-per-view fee was made in recognition of the economic downturn suffered by many Britons.

“This is about keeping boxing alive and relevant at a tough time and doing something for the fans, and we have moved heaven and earth to put this on as a BT Sport subscription ‘Fight Night’ instead,” he said.

“With boxing still being behind closed doors and struggling back to its feet post-lockdown, I wanted to give something of a gift to British boxing fans. Dubois versus Joyce is the best fight on the British boxing calendar, and I want this to be something as many people as possible can enjoy.

“It’s a bonus that the added exposure gained from the fight will really help the boxers as they move forward with their careers. Above all, this is about making sure that the fans are looked after and this fight will be available to BT Sport subscribers.”

Warren went on: “I owe a huge debt of gratitude to BT Sport for being willing to make this happen. I sound like a broken record I’m sure, but sometimes you have to put the sport and the fans first. Queensberry gets that and BT Sport gets that.”

Dubois will put his Commonwealth and British heavyweight belts on the line and they will also fight for the European heavyweight title.