JOYCE CAN’T WAIT FOR JOSHUA
Joe needs rapid rise
JOE JOYCE has no time to waste if he wants to land a mega-money clash with Anthony Joshua.
But for now the London heavyweight insists any talk of an all-British clash with his former GB team-mate is strictly off limits.
Rightly so, as there are plenty of hurdles to overcome first.
The 2016 Olympic super-heavyweight silver medallist takes on American Donnie Palmer at York Hall in London’s Bethnal Green.
It’s his third fight in the paid ranks and his previous two haven’t gone the 10-round distance.
Joyce, at 32, knows time isn’t on his side but he has the right experience behind him to rise quickly through the ranks.
He wants to be fighting for major titles within 12 to 18 months and his amateur pedigree, coupled with fights in the World Series Boxing, an international competition contested over five rounds, means he can. Joyce is keen to avoid talk of Joshua but he has sparred plenty of rounds with the current WBA and IBF heavyweight champion so will know himself how far off he is.
“You need to deal with the hurdle in front of you so you don’t trip over that one,” he said.
Joyce is right in calling out Dereck Chisora for a May fight on the undercard of his promoter David Haye against Tony Bellew.
That would be a good step-up fight but he also has to be wary of younger hopefuls such as Daniel Dubois and Nathan Gorman, who won’t be far behind. Joshua could soon run out of opponents of interest if he continues his destructive path through the heavyweight division. It’s up to Joyce to get himself into a position to be a credible foe.
The clock is ticking, so it’s up to Joyce to get his timing right. BOXING clubs around the country do so much work for their community and Heart of England BC in Leicestershire is no different.
That is why it is sad to hear they have been evicted from their premises and are desperately looking for a new home.
Boxing clubs don’t set out to find the next Anthony Joshua or Floyd Mayweather.
They are there to give children an environment to get fit and healthy while teaching discipline that benefits society as a whole.
Heart of England have entered a competition to win a new home and if they do, it will be their biggest victory –no matter how many champions they produce.