Boxing
‘I came so, so close twice’: Joe Joyce uses Derek Chisora fight to get back into contention
Published
6 months agoon
By
J. HumzaJoe Joyce sighs with regret as he thinks about the IBF world heavyweight title fight between his English rivals Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua on September 21.
Joyce was the WBA mandatory challenger after defeating Bermane Stiverne in 2019 but never got a title shot. He then became the WBO interim champion — and next in line for a world title shot — by stopping Joseph Parker in September 2022, before suffering two straight defeats to Zhilei Zhang.
“I’ve been this, this close twice,” Joyce told ESPN from his Las Vegas training camp with trainer Ismael Salas. “Once with the WBA, then with the WBO. Only in heavyweight boxing [that] Dubois came up from the IBF right away and I thought, ‘What’s going on?’ I just have to beat whoever’s in front of me and pray I get the chance I deserve.”
Joyce (16-2, 15 KOs) has lost his career while others have passed him to fight for a world title. One of those fighters is Dubois, whom Joyce defeated by KO in 2020. However, Joyce’s losses to Zhang have forced him to remain outside the top 10 in three world governing body rankings, and ninth in the WBC.
Joyce, 38, who turned pro after winning a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics at age 31, could gain momentum if he defeats Derek Chisora (34-13, 23 KOs) at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday (ESPN+, 2 p.m. ET). A win could put him one step closer to a spot in the lucrative fights currently being staged in Saudi Arabia. Joyce’s loss of status comes just after Saudi money began pouring into boxing last year, but he hopes to repair the damage done to his career, as Dubois and Joshua have done.
Joyce, from Putney, south-west London, stopped Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), 26, in round 10, breaking his left eye socket. But Dubois got back into position to challenge Oleksandr Usyk for the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles a year ago.
Dubois’s spirited effort ended in a ninth-round knockout loss, but he revived his career with victories over Jarrell “Gigantic Baby” Miller and then Filip Hrgovic. He stopped Hrgovic by cut for the interim IBF title and was elevated to full title reign when Usyk announced in June that he was relinquishing the title to face Tyson Fury in a rematch instead of Hrgovic, his mandatory challenger. (Usyk, the WBC, WBA, WBO champion, fights Fury on Dec. 21.)
Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs), 34, has also rebounded from setbacks, losing twice on points to Usyk in 2021 and 2022.
Joshua, a two-time world champion, has since reeled off four wins and looks to be in sensational form ahead of his IBF title fight with Dubois, which will take place in front of a likely sell-out crowd at Wembley Stadium in London.
“I beat Dubois, and everyone thought AJ was out after losing to Usyk,” Joyce told ESPN. “But [Joshua] he showed that nasty right hook in his last fights and he’s on top again. Dubois is back too. He lost to me and Usyk and now he’s [the] The IBF champion and I were like, “What?!” It’s a rollercoaster ride. It shows you how quickly things can change. One or two wins can change the rankings and title fights.
“I went to Las Vegas to get the best training. I’m sure my team will get me fights.”
Joyce, who turns 39 in September, remains positive about his future in the sport; after all, his opponent on Saturday, Chisora, is 40, while Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs) is 41. Zhang, who is from China but lives in Fresh Jersey, knocked out Joyce in three rounds last September. That defeat came just five months after Joyce lost the WBO interim title to Zhang via sixth-round knockout.
“Chisora was a professional when I first started boxing,” Joyce said. “He’s giving it his all and it’s not going to be an simple fight. People have been waiting for this fight for ages.
“Besides, there are great fights for me. I’m not done yet, I have more to offer to this sport. I boxed [for] 16 years elderly and I have many years left. I had some awkward fights with Zhang, but now I’m back. There’s still a lot of time left before I hang up the gloves.
Although the fights with Zhang didn’t go his way and prevented him from fighting for the title, Joyce spoke highly of Zhang’s skills in the ring. But he’s putting that behind him and looking to the future.
“Zhang is a good fighter, he is a threat,” Joyce said. “He is precise, robust in the backhand and clumsy as a lefty. I have waited a long time, [the] WBO mandatory champion, so I gave Zhang a chance and sometimes that happens. I won my last fight with Kash Ali [by KO10 in March] and a great fight awaits me.
“Everyone has an opinion about me and people like to nitpick, especially comments, and sometimes I find them biased. I think I can prove to everyone that I am still a giant by name and nature.”
Frank Warren of Queensberry Promotions, Joyce’s promoter, says Joyce has a chance of large fights if he beats Chisora, who has suffered four defeats in his last six fights, including a 10th-round knockout to Fury in a 2022 WBC title fight.
“What’s next for Joe depends on the outcome of this fight,” Warren told ESPN. “I thought Derek Chisora should have retired a few years ago, but he’s back, and because of his age, the loser of this fight is at the bottom. If Joe gets beaten by Derek, I don’t know where he goes. But Joe doesn’t have the miles on the clock like Derek. Joe got hurt badly in the Zhang fight in their first fight, but then he got a large knockout in the second fight and he needs a good win.”
“Remember, Joe beat Joseph Parker in September 2022, and look where Parker is now after beating Deontay Wilder and Zhang. The way the heavyweight division is right now, you can turn your career around in a couple of fights.”
Warren said that with three belts on the line in December at Usyk-Fury 2 and another on September 21 in the Dubois-Joshua fight, he believes Joyce could fight the winner of the Dubois-Joshua fight.
“Either way, it would be a great fight for the whole of Britain and Joe has experience of fighting both of those opponents. [Joyce used to spar with Joshua as an amateur.] I hope it’s Dubois, of course. That would be a great rematch, especially after their fight ended with Dubois getting seriously injured.
Joyce has a college degree in fine art and enjoys painting when she’s not boxing. But she’s focused on boxing for a while longer as she tries to get back to bigger opportunities.
“I definitely want to get back into the studio and have my own studio someday, but right now I just want to do the best I can in boxing,” Joyce said.
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Boxing
Ryan Rozicki is waiting for Badou Jack’s consent to mandatory cooperation with the WBC
Published
3 days agoon
January 13, 2025The World Boxing Council (WBC) ordered world cruiserweight champion Badou “The Ripper” Jack (20-1-1, 19 KO) to make a mandatory title defense against Ryan “The Bruiser” Rozicki (20-1), number 1 in the WBC ranking – 1, 19 KOs).
If both camps fail to successfully negotiate an agreement, the WBC will organize a tender on February 4, followed by the Jack vs. Rozicki. Rozicki’s promoter, Three Lions Promotions, immediately sent Team Jacek an offer to promote the fight in Canada last week.
“We are waiting for their counteroffer,” explained promoter Dan Otter of Three Lions Promotions. “Boxing has had a huge resurgence in Canada and Ryan is leading the way. He is one of the most electrifying and hardest-hitting fighters in boxing, definitely in the cruiserweight division. He wants the WBC green belt and ultimately the unification of the division. Ryan will fight Jack anywhere for the belt.”
29-year-old Rozicki, born in Sydney (Nova Scotia) and living in Hamilton (Ontario), fought 22 professional fights against 21 different opponents (twice against Yamil Alberto Peralta), stopping 19 of the 20 opponents he defeated. an eye-opening 95-KO percentage.
Jack, 41, was a 2008 Olympian representing his native Sweden. He is a three-division world champion, as well as the WBC super middleweight and World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight heavyweight title holder. Jack has a record of 5-0-2 (2 KO) in world championship fights.
“We respect Jack and I don’t want to sound disrespectful,” Otter added, “but he’s over 40 years vintage and has been relatively inactive for two years (only one fight). He brings a lot of experience and respect to the ring, but he will fight a newborn defender with a lot of power. Jack is going to struggle and honestly, I don’t think he’ll make it past the first few rounds.”
Ryan Rozicki is on a mission to become the first Canadian cruiserweight world champion.
The next move is Badou Jack’s.
Boxing
Floyd Mayweather’s record is not normal, it can’t happen in 70 years
Published
4 days agoon
January 12, 2025Floyd Mayweather’s incredible 50-0 record is not normal and cannot be repeated in sports for another seventy years.
This is the view of Saudi Arabian president Turki Alalshikh, who wants to adopt the UFC model in which fighters lose many fights during their career.
In a speech as he hosted the Ring Magazine Awards after acquiring the long-running boxing publication from Oscar De La Hoya, Alalshikh was unequivocal in his opinion.
“Now losing some fights in boxing must be normal,” he explained. “All fighters want a career similar to Floyd Mayweather – no losses. This may happen once every 50, 60 or 70 years.
“We need it [to be] like currently in the UFC model, where champions lose and win,” added the matchmaker during the Riyad season.
Mayweather rose through the sport in the tardy 1990s to become one of its youngest superstars. Mayweather’s professional success came after winning a bronze medal at the Olympics after losing to Serafim Todorov.
Winning world titles in five weight classes, Mayweather was untouchable. The Grand Rapids native only came close to defeat a few times. He dominated Manny Pacquiao and overtook Canelo Alvarez and Oscar De La Hoya after heated debates, with decisions that should have been made unanimously.
Towards the end of his career, Mayweather chose to face Andre Berto and Conor McGregor, easily winning and ending his boxing career at the age of 50 without ever going out. Calling himself “the greatest of all time,” Mayweather earned first-ballot Hall of Fame honors and is widely considered one of, if not the greatest defensive fighter of all time.
However, Alalshikh says this type of career needs to end so that fans can get the most out of boxing, as is the case with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Boxing needs to become more attractive, and Alalshikh sees the failures of top stars as a way to keep interest at an all-time high.
In this sport, many boxers enjoy undefeated streaks, the most notable of which is Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian Pound for Pound King is 23-0 and has beaten the best he has to offer in his division and cruiserweight classification.
It remains a mystery how Alalshikh plans to make Usyk suffer while he dominates everyone else. By the time his grand plan goes into action, Usyk will be long gone, and Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney may be more realistic targets.
Boxing
Manny Pacquiao remains the favorite to win the title against Mario Barrios
Published
2 weeks agoon
January 6, 2025WBN understands that despite alternative options emerging, it is more likely that Manny Pacquiao will face Mario Barrios next.
Bob Santos, coach of WBC welterweight champion Barrios, told World Boxing News that he is currently in contact with Pacquiao’s team. Asked by WBN if he had spoken to Pacquiao or representatives of any other challenger, Santos replied: “Yes, Pacquiao’s promoter, Sean Gibbons.” Pressed on whether Barrios vs Pacquiao might happen next, he added: “It’s challenging to say. We’ll have to see how this plays out.”
WBN contacted Santos after Conor Benn emerged as a potential alternative to Barrios. The British fighter, who recently returned from a suspension following two positive drug tests, is keen to return to competition.
Benn showed favor with the World Boxing Council at the recent WBC Convention, the WBC Evaluation Committee and during an interview with the sanctioning body over the weekend. “The Destroyer” is ranked second in the rankings at 147 pounds, despite less than solid opponents during his time in exile, during which Benn competed twice in the United States while his career in the United Kingdom was in doubt.
As he battled to clear his name and with the British Anti-Doping Authority finding no evidence that Benn had intentionally taken ostarine, the 28-year-old’s career took a pointed nosedive. Despite this, he remains highly rated and at least one step away from fighting for an eliminator or one of the remaining championship titles.
However, Pacquiao remains Barrios’ favorite. Now it’s up to the boxing legend and Hall of Famer who got the first votes to secure his shot. WBN believes a July date – most likely at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas – is the most realistic date for a Nevada swan song.
Pacquiao could extend his record as the oldest welterweight champion by six years if he can secure a huge victory over the 29-year-old world champion. At 46 years antique, such a scenario remains unlikely, but he can never be compared to one of the greatest players of this generation.
Unlike heavier boxers and his training regiment, Pacquiao looks in great shape despite his advanced age. Everything is set for a massive return to the boxing capital of the world, provided Pacquiao and his team can manage his political ambitions, which are expected to run from this month until May. After that time, Pacquiao could find himself in the summer finals and become the all-time champion, regardless of the result.
Barrios is based in the city, where he trained with Santos, and would be the perfect opponent to see out the career of one of the greatest fighters in history.
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