By Shaun Murphy-
Anthony Joshua will avoid a brilliant mouthwatering British fight against unbeaten Joe Joyce, and choose an easier fight, according to Joe Joyce’s manager, Adam Moralles.
Moralles of S-Jam management said a fight against Joe Joyce, who has had just 13 fights, will be a big test for Anthony Joshua, one he can’t afford to take while he awaits a world title rematch with Oleksandr Usyk. Joyce is technically sound, has a solid defense, but does not have the same level of power that Anthony Joshua brings to the table. One clear fact is that he can take a big punch, but we don’t know how many of Joshua’s big punches he can take.
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Joshua activated a rematch clause to regain his WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles after Usyk stunned him last September, but the Ukrainian has currently turned his back on boxing after taking up arms following his country’s invasion by Russia. Now the Londoner does not have time on his side in choosing an opponent for an interim fight, but needs a big win to stay on track to win back his titles. If Joshua was ever a true heavyweight champion, he should be confident of beating Joe Joyce, but will have to be a lot more aggressive and confident than he was against Usyk, if he is to inflict the first defeat on Joyce’s career.
Joshua has expressed a willingness to face unbeaten Joe Joyce, but Joyce’s team believe it is all talk and that the former world heavyweight champion is not good enough to risk facing Joe Joyce, who caused a major upset when he beat high prospect, Daniel Dubois in 2020. Another loss before an opportunity to regain his world title could spell the end of Joshua’s career, but a big win could set him up for a major reclaim of his titles down the line when Usyk is ready to fight again.
The question is whether Joshua is confident enough to risk his career against an inexperienced but hungry heavyweight like Joe Joyce, who has plenty of amateur boxing experience under his belt. A match between Joshua and Joyce will be a big domestic fight, even with Joshua’s greater experience.
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“I think it’s a great fight for Joe, the team think it’s a great fight for Joe,” Adam Morallee of S-JAM management said. “Joe would love the fight, but I don’t think AJ fancies the fight.
“He’s looking for an interim fight between now and fighting Usyk, I don’t think he wants a big fight, I don’t think he wants to test himself in that way, with a big test. I think he wants something a bit easier.”
Joshua has also been presented with the slightly easier choice of Otto Wallin, who lost on points to Tyson Fury, after coming close to stopping the gypsy king who suffered a damaged eye in that fight. Joshua needs to hurry and find an opponent- the longer Joshua team select an opponent, the more likely it is they are lacking confidence in the victory that is needed for the next fight.
In the meantime, British heavyweights Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte will meet in a big fight on April 23, as Fury defends his WBC title on the line.
Morallee suggests that, if Usyk were to remain unable to fight due to the situation in Ukraine, the winner of a possible Joshua-Joyce bout could go on to face the winner of Fury vs Whyte.
Joshua commiserates Joyce following his loss in the 2016 Olympic final
“I think Joshua and Joyce should fight, and with Usyk out of the picture fighting for his country in Ukraine, he would then effectively have two semi-finals to determine the best in the world.
“Four out of the top five heavyweights are British, so you’d have Whyte vs Fury on one side, Joyce vs Joshua on the other side, and the winners fight each other, I think it would be amazing and would be one of the biggest British fights of all time.
“Joe has got something to give as No 1 in the WBO. Joshua has no belts now, and Joyce has that No 1 spot so there is something for Joshua there.
“So it’s a brilliant, mouth-watering fight that Joshua should take, but unfortunately won’t take.”
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