JOYCE STEPPING UP FOR A REAL BELTER

IT IS not often I’m in the opposite corner to Tyson Fury but tonight I will be.

My man Joe Joyce takes on Fury’s friend and training partner Joseph Parker in a blockbuster heavyweight battle.

There’s a lot on the line with the WBO interim belt up for grabs, meaning the winner will definitely get a crack at Oleksandr Usyk’s title next year.

Joyce could have looked for an easier night’s work. But he wants to be put under pressure and deliver big nights.

Taking on former world champion Parker is certainly going to bring that. Joyce turned professional late after a stellar amateur career which culminated in an Olympic silver medal at Rio 2016. In 14 fights in the paid ranks he’s packed in tough, entertaining nights.

Sometimes it is a bit worrying when you see him trading big blows with heavy hitters – but it makes him thrilling to watch.

New Zealander Parker is unbeaten since 2018 and the only two who have beaten him are Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte.

But he’s a better fighter now than when he faced those two.

He’s been training up in Morecambe with Tyson (inset) and Andy Lee. You don’t get a much better training partner than the WBC heavyweight champion, do you?

But I still believe Joyce will have too much for him in a thrilling fight at Manchester Arena.

It’s a stacked card up north this weekend. Belfast’s Anto Cacace will look to clinch the IBO superfeatherweight crown against Michael Magnesi and Amanda Serrano takes on Sarah Mahfoud in a unified featherweight bout. There’s a welterweight cracker for the British and Commonwealth titles as Ekow Essuman faces Samuel Antwi. Raven Chapman, Nathan Heaney and Mark Heffron are also in action.