Could Joe Joyce Be a Threat to Leading Fighters in Heavyweight Division?
Joe Joyce’s reputation in the heavyweight division is growing with every fight. His last two performances have been of the highest level and have indicated it may not be long before he is challenging for a world title.
The British boxer is now ranked as high as number three with the WBO. He is sixth on the WBC’s top 10 list, while he is 10th in the IBF’s rankings.
Joyce kept his unbeaten record up with victory over the dangerous Carlos Takam on his latest appearance in the ring. His French opponent once challenged for Anthony Joshua’s WBA and IBF titles and proved no pushover in that contest, taking the champion to 10 rounds before being stopped.
The victory at Wembley Arena was Joyce’s 13th win since turning professional. He threw a barrage of punches at Takam before the referee stopped the fight in the sixth round. This was Joyce’s 12th win inside the distance.
The silver medalist at the 2016 Olympics in Rio will now be keeping a close eye on how Joshua and Fury perform in their respective world title fights over the next few months. Joshua is the -275 favorite in boxing betting to beat Oleksandr Usyk. Fury is also expected to defeat Deontay Wilder for the second time in their trilogy in October.
Dubois Victory Proved His Class
Joyce took the opportunity to jump up the rankings when he defeated promising boxer Daniel Dubois. In that domestic contest, it was Juggernaut who was the underdog as Dubois was ranked higher than him in many of the respective rankings.
After weathering the early storm, Joyce went on to dominate that fight and even forced his opponent to quit in the 10th round. His jab did the damage in the bout as it inflicted swelling above his Dubois’ eye, making it difficult for him to see out of it.
Dubois will likely bounce back, but it’s Joyce who’s now ahead in the pecking order. It also showed that the heavyweight division is not just about explosive hitters. Joyce had a game plan which paid off. He boxed extremely well and made a lot of people in the sport take notice.
Next Fight Could Put Him a Step Closer to A World Title Shot
It may be that Joyce needs one more fight before he gets a shot at one of the four big belts in the division. He has been linked with a showdown with Derek Chisora. This would be an excellent measurement of where Joyce stands as Del Boy is an established boxer at the highest level.
Chisora has shared the ring with Fury, Usyk, Joseph Parker, and Vitali Klitschko. If Joyce can impress against the 37-year-old, it may prove he is ready for a major showdown with one of the best heavyweights with a major belt.
One thing is for sure, Joyce’s future looks very bright. He’s in a division with a lot of depth, and that means boxing fans are going to see some great fights over the next couple of years.
