Joe Joyce sends message to Oleksandr Usyk after stunning Joseph Parker knockout | Boxing | Sport
Joe Joyce rendered Joseph Parker unconscious on Saturday night with a vicious left hook to secure his WBO mandatory status. After the fight, The Juggernaut had one man on his lips – unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
A couple of days before the contest, Joyce gave his verdict to Express Sport on the Parker fight in an accurate foretelling of fight events.
“The early rounds Parker’s going to be fresh, he’s going to be fast – trying to get his work going, using his footwork to move out of the way of my punches,” he said.
“Then in the sixth, I think he’ll start to slow and that’s when the fire will ignite, and we’ll be trading shots. I’ll say around [rounds] seven and eight that’s when I’ll start to get on top, bash him up, knock him out.”
In an interview straight after his statement stoppage victory with iD Boxing, Joyce sent a clear message to the Ukrainian: “Let’s go Usyk, come on, let’s get it on. I’m very feel, let’s go.”
Usyk is without a fight after negotiations to stage the first undisputed heavyweight unification clash of the four-belt era against Tyson Fury fell through. With Usyk ruling himself out of competition until early 2023, Fury approached Anthony Joshua for a December 3 showdown at the Principality Stadium instead.
Fury is still awaiting AJ’s final signature but providing the deal gets done there is a rematch clause signed into the contract which could add further delay to Usyk vs Fury. Usyk has called for a fight against Deontay Wilder, however, if the WBO orders him to face Joyce next he will be forced to either defend or vacate.
