By Charles Brun: WBO interim heavyweight champion Joe Joyce is hoping Tyson Fury keeps his word about fighting him next year after he faces IBF/WBA/WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk in March.
WBC champion Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs) told Joyce (15-0, 14 KOs) he’ll fight him following his win over Derek Chisora on December 3rd.
Fury said that he would even face Joyce next if his negotiations with Usyk fail to produce a fight. That would be admirable of the stork-like 6’9″ Fury if he were to face Joyce next year, but you can’t know with him.
Fury is kind of flighty, and liable to change his mind at the drop of the hat, particularly if he gets a lucrative offer to fight Anthony Joshua.
If Fury gets an offer to fight Joshua, you can bet he’ll forget all the ‘Juggernaut’ Joyce because that’s a guaranteed 12 rounds of hard work.
Fury hasn’t had hard work in a long, long time, and he’s not going to want to get himself mixed up in a fight with someone that could expose his chin problems.
Considering how one-dimensional Fury has become with his fighting style since teaming up with Sugarhill Steward, he may not get past Usyk.
“Yeah, I believe so,” said Joe Joyce to Secondsout when asked if he’s been assured by Queensbury that he’ll be next for Tyson Fury after his fight with Oleksandr Usyk in early 2023.
“I think that’s next to be ordered or whatever happens; I’m going to get to the top of the division and be heavyweight champion,” said Joyce. “I’ve got the WBO interim, and the mandatory is going to be called.
“With Fury, he chooses who he wants to fight pretty much. Usyk, I don’t think he wants it. He’s flapping; he doesn’t want to fight me. Let’s see what happens. I’m hoping Fury is a man of his word and will fight me next. Beat up Usyk, and then fight me next.
“The next step is to unify. Once I become a full champion, I can unify. If the titles come up for grabs, they’ll come vacant, and there will be other ways to capture them.
“Wilder, Joshua is still there, and maybe Dillian Whyte,” said Joyce when asked who he rates in the division.
“It would be one entertaining fight if so,” said Joyce when asked what would happen if Fury tried to walk him down like he’d done against Deontay Wilder, Derek Chisora, and Dillian Whyte.
“It shows that he [Fury] can do both [box & pressure fight], so I’d have to train to do both, whatever he’s going to do. Yeah, I remember I sparred with [Martin] Bakole, and he tried to walk me down in a tough spar,” said Joyce when asked if anyone has ever tried to walk him down in a fight.
“It’s exciting. I like it when people do. Toe-to-toe. Yeah, mix it in the center of the ring for whoever can stand there the longest. The last man standing,” said Joyce when asked if he’d like for Fury to try and walk him down.
“Yeah, I believe so. It’s going to be in March, isn’t it?” said Joyce about the Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk undisputed championship. “Yeah, I’m quite confident, and I’ll be fighting roughly the same time, and then the next move will be for the big fight.
“Top 15, a good name. I like being in good fights; it’s fun,” Joyce said about who he’ll be fighting next. “It gives people entertainment. I think I’m at the stage of my career where I can headline now.
“It’s good for him, but his last performance [against Kevin Lerena],” said Joyce when asked about his thoughts on the World Boxing Association making Daniel Dubois the mandatory for WBA heavyweight champion Usyk.
“He hasn’t got the experience, and now all of a sudden, he’s all the way up at the WBA regular now, but he hasn’t picked up that experience. He’s boxing outside, and he probably hasn’t warmed up properly. He’s done his knee, and he looked terrible.
“He got three counts in the first round. What is going on,” said Joyce about Dubois. “That would have been a bit embarrassing if he got knocked out by him. Where does he go from there, and he’s still getting the shot at the title? It must be something going on wrong.
“It almost happened; what are you talking about,” said Joyce when asked what would have gone through his head if Lerena had knocked out Dubois faster than he did.
“I wouldn’t be surprised because everyone seems to have it in for me,” said Joyce when asked if he would be surprised if Dubois were to get a title shot before him. I know things don’t seem to go my way, but I’ll get there in the end,” said Joyce.