WHO DARES WINCE
JOE JOYCE watches his own fights back on the same night and winces.
Sometimes he can’t quite believe the shots he takes so he understands how those who care about him feel when they’re watching.
Joyce (37) is firing up the rankings with 13 knockouts in 14 wins but he’s not afraid to take a shot to land his own.
The Juggernaut is in the No.1 position for the WBO heavyweight title, a spot he puts on the line tonight against Joseph Parker at Manchester Arena.
But with Parker — whose only defeats have come to Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte — planning to bring the fight to him, it might be another tough watch back later even if he remains unbeaten.
Hotel
“Myself and my girlfriend go back to the hotel and watch it back, then I realise I’ve done OK,” said the Londoner. “You never know because you’re in
there. You can’t remember too much during the fight.
“I look back sometimes and wince, when you get hit by silly shots.
“When you go out in the rain, you get wet. It takes me a few shots to get in the fight. I don’t take them willingly, but it happens and it wakes me up.”
Joyce’s mum Marvel is registered blind but attends every fight and it’s always a family affair when he’s in action.
“They’re supportive, they get nervous fight week which is understandable,” said Joyce. “It must be tough for parents to come watch their son take shots, tough for the girlfriends as well. It must be tough for family members but when I get my hand raised it is good, we then celebrate afterwards. I think it makes them unbelievably proud.”
Usual
The Rio Olympic silver medallist has his usual hotel room in Manchester set up with high-tech games consoles which help him pass the time in the build-up.
But he had to make a late shopping dash earlier this week when he took the ethernet cable out of his room phone and nearly missed the anti-doping testers.
He said: “I used the internet cable and the testing people couldn’t get through to me so I went out and bought a new cable. I’d to get someone from my team to go and get them to come knock on the door. I took the ethernet cable out of the phone.”
But he says his phone is on if Oleksandr Usyk — who holds the WBO title he’s No.1 for as well as the WBA and IBF — wants to call should Tyson Fury face Joshua next.
“If that fight happens then Usyk should come and fight me,” said Joyce. “I want the title shot. If he doesn’t want to defend the title then I’ll take it.”