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Olympic silver medal winner Joe Joyce admits that Oleksandr Usyk is a better opponent for him to fight – when compared to Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.
Last Saturday night at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Usyk outboxed Joshua over twelve rounds in front of 65,000 spectators to capture the WBO, WBA, IBF, IBO world titles.
In 2013, Joyce was beaten by Usyk when the two boxers were still amateurs.
Now in the pros, the 34-year-old Joyce is the WBO’s top challenger to the world title Usyk currently holds.
“I say maybe Usyk [is better suited for my style]. Because AJ is more likely to knock me out and with Fury you’re in danger of being outboxed. He’s at the top, with Joshua, Usyk, they’re all at the top level but they all pose a different skillset and attributes which put them apart,” Joyce told The Sun.
“Same with Usyk as well, he’s a smaller guy and southpaw, but they each pose a problem. Even Deontay Wilder, he has that phenomenal punch power. There’s some really exciting fights with the big-level names.”
Joshua and Usyk will collide in a contracted rematch in the early months of 2022.
At some point in the next twelve months, the WBO will order their world champion to make a mandatory defense against Joyce.
Joyce believes his non-stop punching style will be much tougher for Usyk to overcome.
“I think AJ suits Usyk more than my style. I’m a hard style for Usyk to fight. That’s why I think he was patient in waiting to fight Joshua,” Joyce said.
“I’d throw more shots and I’d have to have a nice training camp with Ismael Salas again and work out the game plan to beat this guy. It’s a fight that I can win, especially if it’s for the belts.”