By Jake Tiernan: Joe Joyce says the roles are reversed between him & Anthony Joshua, with AJ now trying to get back to the top. Joyce (15-0, 14 KOs) holds the interim WBO heavyweight title and is in a strong position to capture a world title against IBF/WBA/WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk.
If Joshua could fight like Joyce, he’d still be at the top of the division, but unfortunately, he looks like he’s faded in a way that he won’t be returning to his former glory.
Joyce says he’d like to settle the bad blood that he had with Joshua inside the ring, but that’s not likely to happen. Joshua has shown no interest in fighting Joyce, and the only way they would fight is if ‘The Juggernaut’ captures a world title.
Joshua was an early bloomer, but his career as an elite-level fighter is pretty much over at 33. Although he still has power, his punch resistance and self-conference are gone.
Joyce will defend his WBO interim title this Saturday night, April 15th, against Zhilei Zhang (24-1, 19 KOs) at the Copper Box Arena in London.
“We both have respect for each other. We’re both silver medalists,” said Joe Joyce to Boxing King Media about his having respect for his opponent Zhilei Zhang. “It’s like Joseph Parker. I have a lot of respect for him, but it’s a sport, and it’s a competitive sport where you’re punching each other.
“Recently, there’s been some bad blood, but maybe we can settle it in the ring someday,” said Joyce about him and Anthony Joshua.”He must have got rid of his phone after the loss to Andy Ruiz. It was a huge fall from grace, especially when he was built, and he had this unbeatable air, and it kind of all crumbled, and people’s perceptions about him have changed as well.
“He’s younger than me, so he still has time, but he’s already been to the top of the mountain. I’m right there, and he wants what I got now because I got a title, and that could be his route back in,” Joyce said about Joshua.
“Once you get in the ring, all the niceties are gone because that person is trying to knock you out, and you’re trying to knock them out,” Joyce said. “There’s a respect that’s shared. It’s going to go down when the bell rings.
“A day before the fight, I’ll have a look with Salas and go over what we’re looking for and what he’s looking for me to do. I expect a tough test and for him to be loading up and hitting some power shots.
“He’s a southpaw, and he’s going to be tricky, and he’s got a lot of amateur pedigree being a silver medalist and two-time Olympian. It’s not easy to do that, and I’m expecting a hard fight.
“I’ve been in with some strong heavyweights, and they can hit, but it’s part of boxing. You have to take shots sometimes. I can take it, but I can also dish it out as well in high volume,” said Joyce.
