After nearly eight rounds of heavyweight boxing at the Indigo O2, Olympic Silver medallist Joe Joyce got his first professional boxing win of his career via corner stoppage over Ian Lewison.
Both fighters started the first round with aggressive shots. Lewison was looking for big haymakers but Joyce wasn’t getting caught. The Olympian relied on his strong jab and good movement while Lewison was swinging wildly and attacking the body as well.
Certainly, a tough first round for the Olympian turned professional boxer.
The accurate jabbing and wild swinging continued in the second from both sides. Joyce was moving well and hitting Lewison with the jab constantly. ‘Lay ‘Em Out’ Lewison was having a hard time connecting with his power shots apart from the occasional well-placed hook to the body.
Joyce’s movement was clearly causing problems for Lewison but the experienced veteran still fought back with his power shots. Joyce eventually backed Lewison into a corner and against the ropes and started connecting. The referee was about to step in but Lewison was saved by the bell at the end of round three.
Again Joyce backed Lewison against the ropes and started teeing off. Lewison tried to get out but Joyce stayed on him. ‘The Juggernaut’ was smelling blood and kept the pressure on Lewison but he survived the onslaught.
The Olympian went straight back to work in the fifth and pummeled Lewison against the ropes and in the middle of the ring. At this point, Lewison was moving slowly and managed to muster up only single power shots.
Lewison showed resistance in the sixth and caught Joyce a couple of times with his nasty overhands. Joyce kept his compusure and landed more in the round.
The plot stayed the same in the seventh. Joyce moved around jabbing Lewison while the Brixton fighter tried to connect with his hooks. Lewison’s tank was empty and the end looked to be near.
Joyce managed to score a knockdown in the middle of the eight round but Lewison stood up quickly. With thirty seconds left in the fight, Lewison’s corner threw in the towel. Their fighter was hurt, tired, and barely showing any resistance while ‘The Juggernaut’ battering him.
It was a solid and technical performance from Joyce who now holds a professional boxing record of 1-0.