Joe Joyce Says He’ll Give Unified Champ Oleksandr Usyk a Tough Rematch
Back in 2013 as amateurs, Joe Joyce (13-0, 12KOs) crossed paths with former undisputed cruiserweight champion and current unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (19-0, 13KOs). The two met in the World Series of Boxing, with Usyk walking away with a unanimous decision victory.
Although he would lose the fight, Joyce had his moments as he made the elusive boxer stand and trade with him in the fight. Fast forward nearly ten years later and the two could potentially square off once again, this time as professional fighters.
While Usyk has gone on to do great things in boxing, Joyce is currently carving out his own spot as he inches closer and closer to a world title opportunity. At some point, Joyce who’s ranked number one in the WBO, will get his world title opportunity. If Usyk beats Anthony Joshua in their rematch in the summer, he will have to make a mandatory defense of his WBO title at some point and there, Joyce will be waiting for him.
Ironically enough, before Usyk got his shot at Joshua, he and Joyce were involved in negotiations to fight in a WBO eliminator. Obviously, that didn’t happen and both men have gone on with their careers, but that doesn’t mean that the fight is dead in the water.
For one, Joyce feels he’ll exact revenge on the Ukrainian champion in a rematch, as he told Boxing Social.
“I’ll be coming with a lot more skills and I’ll have Ismael Salas to set the game-plan and work on the skills, et cetera. I didn’t even get southpaw sparring for that first fight with Usyk. So, I think on the repeat, styles make fights and I reckon I’d bang him up!”
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By: Jerrell Fletcher
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