Joe Joyce makes his return in a must-win all-British heavyweight conflict with Kash Ali in Birmingham this weekend.
‘The Juggernaut’ is bidding to revive his profession after these gruelling back-to-back stoppage defeats by Zhilei Zhang, who has emphatically derailed the world title hopes of his fellow Olympic silver medalist.
Joyce misplaced the WBO interim title and valued standing as one of many obligatory challengers to unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk that he had received with an exhilarating late stoppage of Joseph Parker in his first struggle in opposition to Zhang 11 months in the past, when ambitions of an enormous payday had been extinguished by the heavy-hitting ‘Big Bang’, who battered his opponent and induced main swelling across the eye that led to the bout being waved off in the sixth round.
Joyce vowed to rapidly avenge his shock first skilled boxing loss, although the rematch was much more brutal as Zhang - who would go on to lose in opposition to Parker on the Anthony Joshua-Francis Ngannou undercard in Saudi Arabia final weekend - produced a devastating third-round knockout.
Turning 39 in September, time is of the essence for Joyce in his comeback bid, beginning on Saturday evening.
Rotherham heavyweight Ali is 21-2 and coming off a dispiriting factors defeat by Ukraine’s Bohdan Myronets on his final outing in Edinburgh final summer time.
He beforehand reigned because the IBF European champion however has fought simply twice since 2021, combating harm.
Ali is finest identified for receiving a six-month ban in April 2019 after being disqualified for biting David Price within the fifth spherical of their bad-tempered struggle in Liverpool. He was additionally fined £10,000.
Joe Joyce vs Kash Ali takes place on Saturday March 16, 2024 on the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham.
The struggle takes place on the undercard of Nathan Heaney defending his British middleweight title in opposition to Brad Pauls and European super-bantamweight champion Liam Davies’ IBO world title problem in opposition to Mexico’s Erik Robles Ayala. The so-called ‘Magnificent Seven’ card is promoted by Frank Warren and Queensbury.
The important undercard is because of begin at 7pm GMT, with Joyce and Ali anticipated to be within the ring pretty early on - roughly 8pm. The precise timings are topic to vary.
Joe Joyce is seeking to bounce again from his two stoppage defeats by Zhilei Zhang
Getty Images
As effectively as Davies vs Ayala and Heaney vs Pauls, Dennis McCann and Brad Strand sq. off for the vacant WBO Inter-Continental super-bantamweight title, whereas the WBO European and vacant English welterweight belts are on the road as Eithan James meets Owen Cooper.
Pierce O’Leary additionally takes on Belgium’s Hovhannes Martirosyan with the WBC International super-lightweight title up for grabs.
Nathan Heaney vs Brad Pauls
Liam Davies vs Erik Robles Ayala
Dennis McCann vs Brad Strand
Eithan James vs Owen Cooper
Pierce O'Leary vs Hovhannes Martirosyan
Zach Parker vs Tyron Zeuge
Ezra Taylor vs Prince Oko Nartey
TV channel: In the UK, Saturday evening’s occasion is being broadcast reside on TNT Sports 1, with protection starting at 6:30pm.
Live stream: Fight followers with a TNT Sports subscription can even view the cardboard reside on-line through the Discovery+ app and web site.
This must be a really simple comeback struggle certainly for Joyce, who must get his confidence again with a commanding victory after these successive bruising defeats by Zhang that flattened his world title desires when he was pushing to satisfy the likes of Usyk, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
Ali is to not be underestimated, however he ought to show completely no match for The Juggernaut and has evidently been picked as somebody Joyce’s promoters are clearly very assured that he can defeat with little hassle.
Expect Joyce to come back out firing from the primary bell and safe a heavy early knockout to start his path again to heavyweight relevancy.
Joyce to win by early knockout.
Joyce had by no means beforehand misplaced as knowledgeable earlier than dealing with ‘Big Bang’
Action Images through Reuters
The weigh-in for Saturday evening’s card takes place on Friday afternoon. Check again in then for the outcomes.
Joe Joyce to win on factors or by resolution: 13/2
Joe Joyce to win by knockout or technical knockout: 1/7
Kash Ali to win on factors or by resolution: 35/1
Kash Ali to win by knockout or technical knockout: 11/1
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