Joe Joyce can’t understand why the bookies believe he is a clear underdog in his eagerly-awaited British, Commonwealth and European heavyweight title clash with Daniel Dubois on November 28.
‘Juggernaut’ Joyce locks horns with fellow Londoner Dubois (15-0, 14 KOs) in a terrific match at Church House, Westminster, next weekend. But despite a rich amateur pedigree – including a silver medal at the Rio Olympics – Joyce is widely considered the outsider. BetFred currently lists Joyce as an 11/4 underdog with Dubois heavily favoured at 1/4.
“To be honest, I feel a bit insulted,” Joyce (11-0, 10 KOs) told The Queensberry Lowdown. “The way the bookies have it is just crazy. It’s like I haven’t done anything and I’m just a journeyman. It’s like I’m the underdog.
“I’ve performed at a higher level, so that psychologically gives me an edge. We’ll see on the night if it’s going to be the young, hungry pup or the more seasoned veteran.
“[Dubois] looks great. He looks hench, he looks massive. But it’s not all about size or how good your body looks in the boxing ring. He’s got big muscle mass, so it’s going to be hard to keep throwing shots. Camp has gone great and I’m firing on all cylinders.”