By Allan Fox: 2016 Olympic super heavyweight silver medalist Joe Joyce could be facing former world title challenger Gerald Washington (19-2-1, 12 KOs) on the undercard of the WBC heavyweight belt holder Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury card on December 1 at the Staples Center.
Joyce’s manager Sam Jones is calling on the 36-year-old Washington to agree to the fight with the unbeaten Joyce (6-0, 6 KOs), according to Michael Benson.
It’s a risky fight for Washington to face the 33-year-old Joyce, because he’s going to need to be able to be in good condition for him to keep up at the fast pace that Joyce will set. Washington completely ran out of gas in his 8th round knockout loss to Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller last year in July 2017. Washington came close to knocking Miller out in the 5th round when he flurried on him. After that, Washington was exhausted and sitting duck for the 298 pound Miller.
Washington should have been able to keep up the pace against the nearly 300 pound Miller, but it was the opposite. Miller was the better conditioned fighter of the two, even though he looked physically out of shape with all the fat on his frame. Joyce fights at an even faster pace than Miller, so it’s going to be tough on Washington to be able to fight hard enough to win this fight unless he’s made inroads with his conditioning.
It’s a good opportunity for the 6’6” Washington to get some badly needed visibility fighting on the Wilder vs. Fury card on Showtime PPV. Washington has lost two out of his last three fights by knockout in defeats at the hands of Wilder and Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller. Washington won his last fight in beating John Wesley Nofire by a 10 round unanimous decision last June. That fight ended a 2-fight-fight losing streak for Washington.
There are a lot of big name fighters signed with Al Haymon that have been rumored to be potentially fighting on the Wilder-Fury card. As of now, the only names that are confirmed for the card is former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Isaac Lowe are on the card. A lot of other names have been floated, but it’s unclear whether what fighters will wind up on the card.
Joyce demolished Iago Kiladze by a 5th round knockout last Sunday on Premier Boxing Champions on Fox FS1 and Fox Deportes at the Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario, California. Joyce knocked Kiladze down three times before the match was halted in round five.