Joe Joyce Wants A Saudi Fight – Targets A Return In March
Joe Joyce is looking to secure a fight in Saudi Arabia before a potential comeback in March.
The Brit has not fought since his consecutive losses to Zhilei Zhang as he lost his WBO heavyweight interim belt. The defeats raised questions over whether Joyce could win a world title as he was pushed down the pecking order at 38. His biggest asset is his durable chin, which deserted him in the Zhang fights. Therefore, there was a perception that Joyce should retire since getting a world title opportunity was far. But the Brit still has aspirations of boxing in Saudi.
Joyce On Saudi
“I can’t really say right now, but a couple of names we’re going to go with. Yeah, it’d be nice to get back in the ring, get a nice win. And start looking at some of these serious fights. I mean, I’m confident but it’s also about getting a nice win back on home turf and possibly explore other avenues that have been brung up in a once in a lifetime kind of way. You know, like, tonight [the Dec. 23 card in Saudi Arabia],” Joyce said
The ‘Day of Reckoning’ card was significant for many reasons. It allowed the boxers on the card to increase their profile on the biggest stage, earning a big purse as well. At Joyce’s age, retirement will be on his mind since he is in the latter stages of his career. The card also showed that fighters could bounce back.
Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker secured huge wins, both of whom had been stopped by Joyce. Dubois bounced back from his loss to Oleksandr Usyk by beating Jarrell Miller. The victory dispelled the notion that Dubois had quit on the biggest stage since he took a knee against Joyce and got up after the count against Usyk.
Parker then secured a bigger shock as he dominated Deontay Wilder to win a unanimous decision. After Joyce stopped him, there were doubts that Parker could get back to world level. He was the former WBO heavyweight champion, but his win has put him in the conversation for some big fights. Rematches with Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jr. have been mentioned. And after the second loss to Zhang, Joyce vowed to return stronger, setting up a comeback.
Joyce’s Retirement
“Joe is an elite warrior who constantly challenges himself against those at the top level of heavyweight boxing – he has one of the best CVs of any active heavyweight,” said SJAM Management. He lost to an elite world-level fighter in Zhilei Zhang but will continue to challenge at the top level. We will meet as a team this week together with [promoters] Frank and George Warren and plan the way forward,” Joyce’s SJAM Management.
Joyce’s next steps will be crucial, and if he desires to win a world title, he cannot afford more slip-ups on his return. ‘Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingnews.com’
