Following his outstanding performance against Joseph Parker last weekend, much has been made of Joe Joyce’s chin, as he continues to walk through huge punches, no matter the opponent. However, the ‘juggernaut’ has admitted he doesn’t like to rely on his ability to take a punch.
In an interview with Seconds Out, fan-favourite Joyce conceived that he does feel the power of the punches that he takes, but it is his desire to come back stronger that enables him to continue.
When asked, ‘have you ever been hurt in a fight, have you ever taken a punch that hurt?’, Joyce answered:
“Yeah, but when I get hit, I want to give back more than what I’ve got hit by, unless it completely clears me out, which nobody has managed to do yet.
I’ve been hit with big shots in sparring, of course, and I’ve given them back.”
The current WBO #1 heavyweight challenger went on to reveal that it is not his natural chin alone that allows him to take punishment and remain unscathed in his fights, but other elements, that are trained rather than inherited.
“In a fight, I’ve got a good chin, but I don’t like to rely on it, it’s also my fitness, my work rate and my punch output.”
Following his victory over Parker and his best performance since turning professional in 2017, the 37-year-old has been compared to the likes of heavyweight legend “Big George” Foreman, by well-respected trainer and commentator Teddy Atlas.
Joyce is lining himself up for a title fight in the near future and has called out two-time champion and fellow Brit Anthony Joshua for a fight in December. The hype train is well and truly behind Joyce at the moment, but only time will tell if he can take that next step to become a world champion.
