Frank Warren believes that his fighter, Joe Joyce, matched up with former world champion, Deontay Wilder, is a fight ‘to salivate over.’
Wilder (43-2-1, 42 KOs) is heralded as one of the hardest hitters the sport has ever seen, whilst Joyce’s durability and destructiveness has played out over 15 professional fights, 15 wins, and 14 stoppages.
The Queensberry promoter spoke to Boxing Social about the potential of the pair facing off.
“Do you know what? As much as I want to see him [Joyce] in a world title fight, that fight is absolutely made for the fans, isn’t it? The hardest punching heavyweight in the last 40 odd years, maybe statistically the hardest punching heavyweight ever … against the guy who’s got the best chin in that division.”
“Amazing fight. I’d love to see that. That is one to salivate over.”
It’s one of many heavyweight fights fans would like to see in a division that has been slow to make them.
Joyce finds himself in one of the best positions in the division as WBO Interim Champion after a stellar win over Joseph Parker. A shot at Oleksandr Usyk’s belt and the others that come with it awaits him once the matter of an undisputed fight with Tyson Fury is settled, or moved on from.
He’ll be out next to face China’s Zhilei Zhang – a fight in which he’ll be heavy favourite but won’t be without its tests early on. ‘Big Bang’ went the distance with Filip Hrgovic last August in a fight that many though he won but he lost on the scorecards.
Wilder has recently declared free agency in that he’s open to working with any promoter, and it’s reported that he has offers on the table to stage his WBC final eliminator with Andy Ruiz Jr.
He’s had only three minutes of ring time since late 2021 – a first round knockout of Robert Helenius reminding his rivals about the dynamite in his right hand.
Things on the heavyweight scene seem to be at a bit of a standstill until Fury and Usyk announce their fight, but even that legacy-defining contest is looking less likely now.
Fans will hope that 2023 can kick into gear and begin to stage entertaining fights involving the big men – Joyce versus Wilder included.