JOYCE MAKES HIS MOVE
Joe’s US debut can be the start of big things,
AFTER five wins as a professional in the UK, all inside the distance, Britain’s 2016 Olympic silver medallist Joe Joyce makes his move onto the US scene on Sunday (September 30) when he boxes Iago Kiladze at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California.
This Boxnation/fox Sports 1-televised show is staged by TGB Promotions, but more importantly is part of the PBC operation run by influential adviser Al Haymon, with whom Joyce has linked up. That could be crucial in getting big fights for the Putney giant, who holds the Commonwealth heavyweight crown but at 33 has no time to waste.
Joyce, now trained by Abel Sanchez in Big Bear, California, ought not to slip up in his eight-rounder against Kiladze. The 32-year-old Georgian based in Los Angeles is 26-3 (18) but has been KO’D by cruiserweight Youri Kalenga (two rounds) in 2013, and, in his two outings this year, Adam Kownacki (six rounds) and Michael Hunter (five rounds).
The 6ft 6in Joyce will have about three inches in height and 30lbs in weight over Kiladze, so can grind him down with his high work rate for a stoppage in the bout’s second half. Then on to bigger things.
Topping the bill is a welterweight 12-rounder between shopworn Californian veterans Victor Ortiz, 32-6-3 (25), and
John Molina Jnr, 30-7 (24). Southpaw Ortiz, a former WBC 147lb champ, can win on points.
There’s an eight-round run-out against an opponent to be named for Harlesden’s
James Degale, 24-2-1 (14), like Joyce a Haymon client, while awaiting the major fight that led him to relinquish his IBF super-middleweight title rather than meet low-reward mandatory Jose Uzcategui.
And Pontllanfraith light-heavy prospect
Kody Davies, 7-0 (3), boxes an eightrounder against Jerhed Fenderson, a 4-6 (2) opponent from Las Vegas.