Heavyweight title hopeful, Joe Joyce, has shared the ring with many top heavyweights, whether that be in the amateurs or in sparring.
In 2020, ‘The Juggernaut’ shared the ring with Francis Ngannou, who faces another previous sparring partner of Joyce in Tyson Fury in two months time, and has admitted that his notorious power is rightfully feared.
Fury was expected to face Oleksandr Usyk earlier this year, to crown a first undisputed heavyweight champion since 2000, but the teams of both men failed to reach an agreement and subsequently the clash fell apart.
Instead, the WBC champion has opted to take on former UFC heavyweight champion, Ngannou, who is widely regarded as the MMA franchise’s hardest puncher of all-time.
In an interview with Pro Boxing Fans, Joyce revealed that the power of Ngannou surpasses that of ‘The Gypsy King’, but suggested that he will have a hard time landing a knockout blow and confessed his disappointment that Fury isn’t instead facing his fellow champion, Usyk.
“Ngannou hits harder, if you let him hit you. Fury is a slippery character but he has shown that he can hit hard too, you can see that from the way that he knocked out [Dillian] Whyte, and [Deontay] Wilder as well.”
“It’s a good fight for Ngannou, he’s got a good payday, I’m happy for him. I’m disappointed with Fury not fighting [Oleksandr] Usyk though, because that was for the undisputed [title], which hasn’t happened for so many years in the heavyweight game. Hopefully it will happen, but everything still seems to be up in the air.”
Fury and Ngannou will meet in the ring on October 26th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where the ‘baddest man on the planet’ will supposedly be decided. The spectacle will be available to purchase on TNT Sports Box Office for U.K. fans, for an event that is likely to draw huge numbers from around the globe.