Johnny Fisher speaks on his time in the ring with fellow heavyweight, Joe Joyce, confirming what fans already suspected – ‘The Juggernaut’ will not stop no matter how hard you hit him.
With all the training done now, Joyce is getting ready to face Joseph Parker this weekend. In what’s arguably the biggest test of his career so far, the British Olympic Medallist has been covering everything in the gym – including hard sparring.
Someone who can attest to this is Johnny Fisher – an up and coming heavyweight who’s been a sparring partner for Joyce in the lead up to the Parker fight. He confirmed to BT Sport that the legends about ‘The Juggernaut’s chin are true.
“You hit him with everything you’ve got – and trust me I’ve hit him with some big, big shots – and he just resets, and walks back and keeps coming, and keeps coming, and keeps coming.”
“We always get good, intense work and I think that’s why Joe likes having me back. Salas likes it because he knows that I’ll bring a bit of heat. I’m not afraid to get stuck in and sometimes you need a bit of that crash, bang, wallop sparring.”
‘The Romford Bull’, who is a fan favourite and has six wins from six, went on to advise anyone planning on facing Joyce to work on their stamina – not that he thinks it will help Parker come Saturday night.
“When you fight Joe Joyce, you’ve got to be prepared to go 12 rounds because it’s gonna go the distance if you’re gonna beat him. That’s the only way – you’ve got to beat him on the distance, and I don’t think that’s going to happen [on Saturday night.]”
Juggernaut by name, juggernaut by nature. Joyce certainly fits the definition of a huge, powerful, and overwhelming force. His record in the ring tells us that, for the vast majority, if you can’t stop him, he’ll stop you. So far, nobody has been successful in their attempts. 14 wins with 13 coming by way of knockout, even by heavyweight standards, is impressive.
What makes the fight so intriguing is that Parker’s punch resistance is well regarded, too. Although he has a couple of losses, he’s never been stopped inside the distance, making this the personification of the phrase an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object.
The pair will face off this Saturday in Manchester for WBO Interim Heavyweight Championship, broadcast live on BT Sports Box Office.