60-SECOND INTERVIEW
‘THE BEST LAD I EVER BOXED WAS VASYL LOMACHENKO’ David Oliver Joyce
When and why you started boxing:
I started at the age of eight. My dad boxed and some of my mates were joining the local boxing club, so I said I’d give it a go.
Favourite all-time fighter:
Mike Tyson. I loved the way he went about things. He was a mean f**ker!
Best fight you’ve seen:
All three of the fights between Micky Ward and Arturo Gatti. Pure heart and guts. I don’t think we’ll ever see fights like those again.
Personal career highlight:
Boxing at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Toughest opponent:
The best lad I’ve ever boxed is Vasyl Lomachenko in the quarterfinals of the 2008 European Championships in Liverpool [Lomachenko won 10-2 on points].
Best and worst attributes as a boxer:
I’m a fighter who can also box when needed, although maybe I don’t use my boxing skills enough. I have a really good work rate and I put a lot of pressure on my opponents. I’m always in the pocket ready to pounce on them when they make a mistake.
Training tip:
Your body knows best. It knows when it needs a break and when it can keep going. The key is to enjoy your training. When you enjoy it, your body will happily push itself to the limit.
Favourite meal/restaurant:
The food at Nando’s is something else. A half chicken with spicy rice and chips. Now you’re talking!
Best friends in boxing:
I have a lot of friends in boxing. When you’re in training camps with
‘I MET USAIN BOLT WHEN WE WERE BOTH COMPETING AT THE RIO OLYMPICS’
guys for six or seven weeks, you get closer to them. I’d say my best mates are [fellow Irish fighters] Joe Ward, Gary Cully and Roy Sheehan.
Other sportsman you would like to be:
Usain Bolt. I met him when we were both competing at the Rio Olympics.
Last film/tv show you saw:
American Gangster. I love that movie.
Who would play you in a film of your life:
A young Robert De Niro.
Have you ever been starstruck:
When I bumped into Danny Trejo at an airport in Turkey. He’s one of my favourite actors.
Last time you cried:
I broke down when I qualified for the Rio Olympics. I’d been working so hard for years to go to the Games.
Best advice received:
Live life to the full and always follow your dreams.
Something not many people know about you:
I’m afraid of snakes.