OLYMPIC super-heavyweight silver medallist Joe Joyce is a star signing for the new Hayemaker-Ringstar promotions. Joyce is now 31 years old but can rapidly rise through the ranks in professional boxing. He might not look the slickest but his workrate is tremendous for such a big man and he does real damage over the three round amateur distance. That will be exacerbated over longer professional contests. He has already proved himself a force in the World Series of Boxing.
“I think I’m going to be a little bit fast tracked. I’m ready. I’ve done 15 WSB fights, I’m well on my way already. I’m a mature experienced heavyweight,” he told Boxing News. “It’s a lot different [at his new gym]. It’s not a squad mentality, it’s about myself and my progress and trying to fine tune my pro skills and I’m enjoying my new routine at the Hayemaker gym.
“Doing training sessions with David, unorthodox sessions, getting beasted in S&C, conditioning and working with Ismael Salas.”
He added, “I’ll be the same Joe Joyce but more refined probably hitting with more power, with better technique.”
Joyce was also renowned on the amateur circuit for celebrating tournament wins with an impressive backflip, or with some capoeira for his Brazilian audience. We’re expecting to see such showmanship in the pros. As long as the longer bouts aren’t too exhausting that is. “It depends how tough the rounds are. I might have to do a forward roll or a backward roll,” he said.
Joyce has shared a ring with the best in the world. He has spent years sparring Anthony Joshua at the GB gym (they actually boxed in the London divisional stage of the ABAs). But Joyce also recently got some rounds in with Hughie and Tyson Fury. “Different style,” he noted. “It’s a very tricky style to box against. Hughie is very side on, he’s got his head back, his shoulder’s in the way and is very elusive, same with Tyson. Even though he’s put on a couple of pounds, he can still move, he’s still hard to hit… We was doing shoulder rolling, his head I couldn’t quite hit. The skills are still there.
“His reach and his skillset is amazing.”
Joyce now shares a promoter with Tony Yoka, his amateur nemesis who controversially defeated him in the Olympic final. Yoka is the man Joe would most like to fight. “It depends how it goes. It will be a big fight so maybe we’ll wait till we’ve got some titles and maybe I can get some redemption,” Joyce said. “Let’s get this first year out the way and then start thinking about titles.”
His pro debut is likely to take place in September. He notes, “The details all being worked out so stay tuned.”
