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Published 17/03/2024 at 22:38 GMT
After beating Kash Ali, live on TNT Sports, for his first win since September 2022, Joe Joyce is now looking for an active year. A second showdown with Joseph Parker is being eyed by ‘The Juggernaut’, who has also named Dillian Whyte and Deontay Wilder among his potential opponents. Joyce is also looking to join the heavyweight party in Saudi Arabia.
Joe Joyce
Image credit: Getty Images
In an all-British heavyweight contest, live on TNT Sports, Joyce secured a knockout win in the 10th and final round in Birmingham.
It wasn’t pretty, but the 38-year-old is back in the ‘W’ column and beginning to find his feet again with tentative first steps after a career-defining pair of defeats to Zhilei Zhang last year.
The first was waved off due to an eye injury to Joyce, but he was thoroughly beaten in the rematch, with the Chinese behemoth delivering a round-three KO in a devastating performance.
Those setbacks came just as Joyce was being widely viewed as a contender for heavyweight gold – potentially the man best placed to challenge Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.
Joyce, then at 15-0, seemed unstoppable, thanks to a granite chin that saw him walk through the best Parker had to offer in a September 2022 win – a superb night in Manchester which culminated in a KO.
Parker, whose own career seemed at a crossroads after the defeat to ‘The Juggernaut’, has since enjoyed an Indian summer with triumphs against both Zhang and Deontay Wilder.
Now the New Zealander is firmly in the sights of Joyce, who told IFL TV about his ideal fight: “I think the Parker rematch would be a good one. Also Dillian Whyte, maybe Wilder.”
On potentially fighting on the Fury v Usyk undercard in Saudi Arabia in two months’ time, the 38-year-old added: “I’d love to. It’s an exciting place, an exciting time. Turki Alalshikh is putting on some great fights.
“But equally, there’s fights here and in America. It’s great to come out to Birmingham. The Juggernaut is back. Stay tuned: I’m in for some big, powerful fights.”
So far, Joyce has been the victim of unfortunate timing in missing out on the heavyweight extravaganza of Riyadh Season, with potential paydays on the undercards of three Fury and Joshua fight nights having been and gone.
The man with a glittering amateur background also told talkSPORT: “I’m excited to get back in the mix with some of these big fights. You saw how Parker got back from a loss to me and beat the two biggest punchers. That would be a good rematch.
“I’m up for getting in again and being more active this year. Possibly [I could join the Matchroom v Queensberry card on June 1]. Yeah, I’m ready. There are some big opportunities.”
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