Putney’s “Juggernaut” Joe Joyce arrives in Manchester this week for the biggest fight of his professional career thus far.
Joyce meets world-class Kiwi Joseph Parker at the Manchester Arena on Saturday night, convinced they will give the fans a hard time.
Joyce, 36, is 14-0 and his biggest win to date came behind closed doors against Daniel Dubois during the Covid pandemic in November 2020.
“It’s my first big, big fight in front of a crowd,” said Joyce, 14-0 (13). “There is a lot of anticipation behind this, there are two great fighters, Joseph and myself, and it is going to be a tough fight. I think it’s going to be my toughest fight to date. He’s tough, he’s got good head movement, good footwork and he really wants it. But it’s going to be exciting. It’s going to be a nice fight that ends when I knock him out.”
Parker, 30, is trained by former Irish middleweight world champion Andy Lee, and Joyce has seen improvements, but is under no illusions that Parker wants to win to further his own career.
“I saw the Chisora fight [rematch with Parker] and he looked good, he looked strong, he looked smart,” Joyce explained. “And I’ve seen some of his interviews and he goes for this one. He doesn’t do it for his coach or anyone else, he does it for himself.”
The potential mix of styles on Saturday is appealing. Joyce is the relentless bulldozer, while Parker is the seasoned boxer and puncher who doesn’t like giving ground unnecessarily.
Will Joyce be able to get him to stand up and fight for periods of contention?
“Yeah, definitely,” Joyce predicted. “She has good footwork, but so do I. It will be very even. I think maybe he underestimates my abilities as well as my relentless Juggernautness. [sic]. My footwork is good, my head movement is good, my hand speed… People worry about my hand speed, but my timing is good. I am quite complete. He too.
Parker is No. 3 with The Ring, Joyce is No. 6, but the winner is looking for fights with the biggest names in the division and the likes of Tyson Fury (Parker’s camp mate), Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder and Oleksandr Usyk ( an old amateur foe of Joyce’s).
“That’s why it’s more exciting, because it’s a risky fight,” Joyce admitted.
Does he think the much-discussed Dec. 3 clash between Fury and Joshua could happen?
“I have no idea,” he said, flatly. Then, referring to his own path, he said: “It’s just a long one, because if he does, there could be a rematch clause… and if Fury-Joshua fight, potentially Fury will want to call Usyk, especially if he beats Joshua. …or maybe Joshua wants a rematch. But it’s irrelevant because Parker and I are fighting over the WBO Interim, so the winner basically gets the belt unless Usyk decides to defend it. But you never know. Money talks. It’s like EastEnders, it’s like a soap opera. You believe that things are signed and done and that there are always twists and turns when you least expect it”.
Wilder returns after a year to face Robert Helenius on October 15 in Brooklyn and that is a future fight Joyce would consider.
“Yeah, for the right money and the right belt,” Joe continued. “It would be a good fight. He has an enormously heavy punch that I would have to be aware of, but these are all good fights.”
The heavyweight division is leaking. The best seem to want to fight the best and this weekend is another indication of that.
“Just keep it exciting,” Joyce said. “[With] all these great fighters in the mix, I’m excited. So the likes of Fury and Usyk might be thinking about retiring and if everyone leaves and I’m still here, it’s all about all the up-and-coming heavyweights and facing them.”
