Exclusive: Ian Lewison Will Test Joe Joyce’s Toughness – “I’m going to put it on him and see how strong and tough he is

Joe Joyce has been accused of being “presumptuous” by his opponent ahead of his pro debut on Friday night.

The trade expected the Olympic silver medallist to be matched tough on his debut – but the match with Ian Lewison at the O2 Indigo still raised eyebrows.

Lewison is a heavy-handed former Southern Area champion who last time out went 10 hard rounds with Dillian Whyte for the vacant British heavyweight championship.

“It’s presumptuous of them to take this fight,” said the 36 year old South Londoner.

“But they want to push him on and want to take risks with him.

“The only reason I took this fight is because it’s on TV. If it had been a six rounder at the York Hall, I wouldn’t have taken it, but this fight is a top-of-the-bill fight on TV and a platform for me.”

Lewison was lined up to fight Robert Helenius in June – Helenius beat him when they were amateurs – but because of a paperwork issue, the match fell through.

Helenius now fights Whyte on the Anthony Joshua-Kubrat Pulev show in Cardiff next week and, not for the first time in his career, Lewison is left wondering what might have been . . .