IN the eyes of many, Joe Joyce’s chances of becoming a world champion have gone from a likelihood to a distant memory within the space of just two years and fans around the globe have subsequently beckoned for the Brit to call time on his career.
Yet, with supposed unfinished business in the heavyweight division, the 39-year-old has decided to remain in the sport and will fight again in just a few weeks’ time.
undeterred by pressure and grinding his opponents down with relentless front-footed aggression.
In 2020, Joyce famously stopped the now IBF heavyweight world champion Daniel Dubois to pick up the British, Commonwealth and European titles,
but it was an 11th-round knockout of former WBO world champion Joseph Parker in 2022 that placed a level of expectancy upon the shoulders of the Briton.
Victory over Parker saw Joyce claim the WBO interim world title and position himself well for a shot at true world honours, many believing his granite chin and intense fight style to be an issue for each of the top heavyweights on the planet.
Yet, that same granite chin met its match when it was cracked by the ‘Chinese power’ of Zhilei Zhang on two occasions in 2023
, handing Joyce his first and second career defeats, in the sixth and third round of his two showdowns against his fellow fan-favourite heavyweight.
In March of last year, Joyce returned to the ring to take on a seemingly overmatched Kash Ali in Birmingham and needed almost all of 10 scheduled rounds before stopping Ali with seconds remaining on the clock – a small relief in what was ultimately an unconvincing display.
Four months later, Joyce went to battle with domestic veteran Derek Chisora but once again he looked a shadow of his former self, appearing uncharacteristically vulnerable to the attacks of ‘Del Boy’, w
ho had not scored a knockout win since 2019, before the unanimous-decision upset was confirmed and Chisora’s hand was raised.
Calls for Joyce’s retirement soon followed, but the Putney-based contender has instead opted to remain in the sport. Queensberry Promotions have now confirmed his place on the undercard of Ryan Garner’s European title challenge in Bournemouth on March 1st.
Garner will face undefeated Spaniard Salvador Jimenez (14-0-1) in a bid for the vacant EBU European super-featherweight crown,
whilst Archie Sharp (25-1) and Liam Dillon (14-2-1) are poised to meet in an intriguing all-British clash at the same weight, after both men lost to Garner during 2024.
Fresh from a career-best win over Dan Azeez in October, Lewis Edmondson defends his Commonwealth light-heavyweight belt against Bristol-based Nigerian Oluwatosin Kejawa.
Joyce will join names such as Jadier Herrera, Royston Barney-Smith, Luke McCormack and Karol Itauma on an enticing undercard, although opponents have not been confirmed for those fights as of yet.
