"I'd bang him out" - Joe Joyce on Oleksandr Usyk

Joe Joyce has expressed his thoughts on how a fight with pound-for-pound King Oleksandr Usyk would play out. The British heavyweight contender will be returning to the ring on July 2 against a still-to-be-confirmed opponent at the Wembley Arena in London, England.

The Brit wants to continue his momentum inside the ring by being involved in a few more fights before the end of the year. Joyce is ranked number one by the WBO and number two by the WBC, so he is hoping for a world title shot in 2023.

The 'Juggernaut' could likely face the winner of championship fights involving Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk.

When speaking to Boxing Social, he spoke on a potential fight between himself and Usyk in the future, in which he said:

"I'd be coming with a lot more skills. [...] I didn't even get southpaw sparring for that first fight I had with Usyk. I think on the repeat, styles make fights and I reckon I'd bang him out."

Joyce was expected to face off against former heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker but the fight has now been rearranged for September.

With Joyce currently being the WBO’s top ranked heavyweight contender, he's in line to be the mandatory challenger in the future. However, there's no certainty that Joyce will get a title shot straight away.

Joyce’s chance is likely to arrive during 2023, which is why he is determined to stay active in a big fight against Parker in the meantime.

Watch Joyce's full interview here:

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Joe Joyce vs. Oleksandr Usyk - A closer look

While both heavyweights were competing in the amateur ranks, they came across each other in a competitive bout. In 2013 they fought against each other in the World Series of Boxing, where the Ukrainian won by unanimous decision.

Joyce holds a professional record of 13-0 with only one of his opponents making it to the final bell. Meanwhile, Usyk has an impressive record of 19-0 with 13 knockouts.

Oleksandr Usyk is a world champion in two weight classes, having held the undisputed status at cruiserweight and then becoming the unified heavyweight champion. The Ukrainian has held the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO Heavyweight Titles since defeating Anthony Joshua.

The Brit, on the other hand, has held the British, Commonwealth, WBC Silver, and WBO International Heavyweight Titles since 2020. He has also previously held the European heavyweight title.

Watch Joe Joyce vs. Oleksandr Usyk here: