Joe Joyce gives Fury more problems than Usyk says Lou DiBella

By Boxing News - 12/27/2022 - Comments

By Sam Volz: Promoter Lou DiBella believes that Joe Joyce will give WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury more problems than IBF, WBA & WBO champ Oleksandr Usyk. Fury has talked about wanting to fight Joyce in 2023.

Whether he does or not remains to be seen because he’s taken it easy lately, fighting Derek Chisora & Dillian Whyte when he could have fought better opposition like Joyce.

The power, size, and punch resistance of the unbeaten Joyce (15-0, 14 KOs) make him a real threat to the 34-year-old version of Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs), who tends to walk down his opponents, throwing single shots and then immediately grabbing them in a clinch to begin leaning.

The simple style that Fury uses will get him in trouble with Joyce because he’s more robust and physically stronger.

If Fury relies on throwing his single shots and then grabbing Joyce to begin leaning, that style isn’t likely to work.

That approach works on weaker, lighter fighters that Fury can wear down with his 270-lb frame. Joyce weighs the same amount as Fury, but his weight is muscle, not fat.

“Probably Joyce,” said Lou DiBella to Secondsout when asked who gives Tyson Fury more problems between Oleksandr Usyk & Joe Joyce. “Usyk because he’s so skilled, he’s so hyper-skilled. He’s going to give anybody a fight.

“I sort of see Tyson right when he’s 100% ready for a fight. I see him as such a good boxer that it’s not a different realm of talent in the boxing end. Usyk is a better boxer than virtually everyone. In the heavyweight division, it’s a big gap with most, but the gap with Fury is the smallest with Usyk.

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“That says to me that Fury is the most difficult fight in the world for Usyk. Joe Joyce, it’s hard to hurt the guy. He’s a freaking monster. He’s got these short, heavy hands.  You can see the punches coming and he’s still going to hurt you. He’s relentless.

“He reminds me of George Foreman, and I mean the second ccoming of George Foreman. I consider that a great compliment because the second coming of George Foreman was a great heavvyweight.

“It would have been a closer call if you said because yyou said Usyk and not AJ. If you said who gives Fury a tougher fight between AJ and Joyce, I’d unequivocally says Joyce, and I would unequivocally make Joyce the favorite against AJ. In fact, Joyce would knock AJ out.

“The way I spew about big Joe, you’d think I have something to do with him, but I don’t. I just do as a fan. He’s an old school, physically strong, relentless heavyweight, and I love watching him. I think he’s fun to watch,” Dibella said about Joyce.

“I’m more entertained by Joyce [than Joshua], but I think that AJ makes good fights, even when he loses. AJ is not a fighter that you would say is hard to watch. He’s a hell of a heavyweight.

“I would like to see AJ fight Wilder in 2023. Joyce against any of the top guys, and Wilder against Fury. I’m a little bit excited about the heavyweight division right now,” said DiBella.