Joyce chasing redemption this year after a damaging 2023 (Picture: Getty)
Joe Joyce believes a rematch with Daniel Dubois is ‘an easy fight to make’ as he sets out to re-establish himself at the top of the heavyweight division this year.
This time last year, the Londoner was within touching distance of a first world title shot, standing as the mandatory challenger for the WBO heavyweight title which remains in the possession of Oleksandr Usyk.
Rather than waiting on the sidelines, Joyce rolled the dice against Zhilei Zhang in April only to suffer the first defeat of his professional career when he was stopped in the sixth round. Eager for revenge, the two met again six months later. This time, the finale was even more brutal with Joyce savagely knocked out in the third round.
It was a major setback. Prior to that night in April, Joyce had remained largely untroubled in 15 professional fights with his iron chin regarded as perhaps the toughest in the sport.
Dismissing any talk that at the age of 38, he might be done in his pursuit of world honours, the Putney fighter will return to the ring in March on UK soil with British heavyweight Kash Ali set to be his first opponent of the year.
Having fallen victim to heavyweight boxing’s endearing unpredictability, Joyce is aware of the need to set things right. Taking inspiration from the legendary George Foreman, who made history in becoming boxing’s oldest world champion at the age of 45 in 1994, he insists time is still on his side.
‘It was frustrating, yeah.’ Joyce told Metro.co.uk when discussing how parts of the boxing world reacted to his defeats to Zhang.
Joyce suffered heavy damage around his right eye in the first Zhang defeat (Picture: Getty)
‘People were quick to tell me to retire. For one, it’s just an opinion. And two, I haven’t done everything I want to do in this sport yet or secured myself yet. It’s my decision when I want to retire.
‘You can’t tell someone to retire because they lost a fight. Plenty of champions have lost on the big stages and gone onto win world titles on their comeback run. Look at George Foreman coming back at 45. People are used to giving their options but its water off a duck’s back. This is heavyweight boxing, it happens.
‘I’m not under anyone’s pressure. I am doing my own thing. I have my own path. People write you off if you lose but if you come back with a good win you are right back in it. People are very fickle. Minds change very quickly.’
Joyce was knocked out in the third round of their rematch (Picture: Getty)
Perhaps the most prominent recent examples Joyce could follow are those set by two men he has already beaten in the ring. Joyce pummelled Dubois into submission in their 2020 meeting with ‘Triple D’ beaten again by Usyk last summer.
On both occasions, Dubois saw his heart questioned. Parker meanwhile shared an almighty scrap with Parker in 2022, knocked out in the 11th round with another title charge at that point looking very unlikely for the former WBO champion.
At ‘Day of Reckoning’ in December, Dubois secured some redemption, digging deep against Jarrell Miller in another huge test of character before finishing off the American in the final round. Parker meanwhile stole the show, outclassing Deontay Wilder with an imperious display. His reward is another huge fight against Zhang on the Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou undercard.
Joyce made Dubois quit in their 2020 meeting (Picture: Getty)
‘Dubois and Joe Parker showed it. You can have one fight and get straight back in the mix,’ Joyce continued.
‘I was impressed with Daniel, he looked good against Miller who was pretty durable, taking a lot of shots. It was a good fight for him.
‘Does the rematch interest me? Possibly. Especially with what’s going on elsewhere in the division. Everyone is fighting everyone, there’s a lot of entertaining fights talked about out there and that is one of them. We are both with Frank [Warren], it’s an easy fight to make.’
Parker is eager to avenge his defeat to Joyce, with the trio of him, Dillian Whyte and Anthony Joshua the only men to have beaten the New Zealander in his 37-fight career.
Parker stunned the division with his superb display against Wilder (Picture: Getty)
‘Joe is a tough fighter,’ Joyce said. ‘He hits hard, he takes a shot, and he is very skilful. Even though I beat him well, it was still a very hard fight, a gruelling fight. He took a lot of punches and dished out a lot. I rate him a lot and I was very pleased for him. He boxed Wilder’s ears off.’
Back in camp as of last week, Joyce will return to the ring in March, eager to get back to action before pursuing one of the division’s elite names later in the year. For the first time since the Covid lockdown four years ago, he will base his training camp at home in the UK with Steve Broughton overseeing things with plans to return to his regular base in Las Vegas later in the year.
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Colossal all-British showdowns against Joshua and Tyson Fury may out of his grasp right now after a damaging 2023. But as the division has shown over the last few months, all that can change very quickly.
‘I think within two more wins I will be back in the frame for those fights [against Joshua and Fury],’ Joyce said.
‘That is the way this sport seems to work. A couple of big wins and I am back in there. I have already proved to people I am an elite fighter and I can mix it with the best and beat the best too. It is just a matter of time.’
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The Londoner suffered two heavy defeats in 2023 but sees a route back to the top.
