Joe Joyce v Kash Ali

[Master]

Joe looks set to make his return on March 16 in Birmingham against Kash Ali.

This is the man that was previously banned for six months for BITING David Price.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/25384...sh-ali-biting/

[Primo Carnera]

That’s a big fall from grace.

[Master]

Joe has to rebuild his reputation again. This will be a start and he needs to stay active after this. I can see Dubois want a rematch and Frazier Clarke has mentioned his name.

So Joyce has still some good fights to be made. Parker may be silly enough to want revenge, Wilder would be a very interesting challenge.

[Memphis]

Funny old game ain't it. Joyce has been getting untold stick from day one. Eventually, he battered enough people to squash all that nonsense and for some, he was the one to give Fury a proper row. He takes a double hiding from Zhang and all those pricks that said he was shit from day one have found their voice again. Meanwhile, Parker, one of the blokes Joyce filled in has one decent win on paper and he's better than ever.

That said. Kash Ali? Fuckin ell.

[TIC]

[Spicoli]

Says nothing about the confidence Joyce has in himself and everything about what promotion thinks right now. You simply cannot go back to obscure baby steps going on 39 years old gents. Joyce needs a guy like Franklin maybe.

[Master]

“It’s good to be back and get back into camp and to start the year with a bang,” Joyce said at a press conference at Birmingham’s Resorts World Arena.

“I’m still here. I’m not retiring and I have plenty of fights to be in. It’s an exciting time to be in. Why retire now? I’d be crazy to.

“I want to get back to winning ways again with a nice victory and then there are plenty of fights on the horizon. The heavyweight division is thriving at the moment especially with the opportunities in Saudi Arabia.

“Styles make fights and he’s a hard hitting durable southpaw (Zhang). I learnt from the first fight but I didn’t get the result (in the second). He got the beating of me and I’ll see what he’ll do next.”

I'm still here. I'm not retiring and I have plenty of fights to be in. It's an exciting time to be in. Why retire now? I'd be crazy to

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...aef592f8&ei=56

[Master]

British middleweight champion Nathan Heaney says the stakes are "massive" ahead of his fight with Brad Pauls in terms of securing a potential shot at the world title.

The 34-year-old from Stoke defends his British crown for the first time against English champion Pauls in Birmingham on 16 March.

"I believe I have the style to compete and beat quite a few fighters," Heaney told BBC Radio Stoke.

"I have to win this fight."

Heaney extended his unbeaten record to 18 fights when he upset Denzel Bentley by a majority decision to claim the British title in November in Manchester and is now preparing for a swift return to the ring as his quest to bring a world title fight closer continues.

"It doesn't feel two seconds since I became the British champion. There was a very long gap between each of my last two or three fights, so to get back so soon feels great," he said. "You can keep the momentum going with the training."

'Hitman' Heaney has had his sights set of a date with current WBO and IBF champion Janibek Alimkhanuly ever since his win over Bentley a couple of months ago and knows he has the backing of promoter Frank Warren over a bout with the Kazakhstan fighter in his home city of Stoke if he can see off Pauls.

"Frank promised the winner of the fight with Denzel Bentley to fight for a world title this year," Heaney said.

"He also said if I win this fight he will sort the fight at the ground [Stoke City's bet365 Stadium] in the summer. So the stakes are massive for the fight."

Cornish fighter Pauls, won the English belt with an eighth-round knock-out of Mitchell Frearson at York Hall last September, seven months after losing his first shot at the national title against Tyler Denny on a unanimous decision - the only defeat of his career to date.

Heaney says the 30-year-old is a "very good domestic fighter" and knows he will be a dangerous opponent.

"He's someone I knew in the early days because we boxed similar people," Heaney said.

"He'd stopped certain boxers that I hadn't - some lads that I beat but hadn't knocked out, those lads have knocked out.

"So I know they've got the power there."

"Brad Pauls could be on the trajectory to the world stage, provided he beats me, but he's very good and I know he wants to cause an upset.

"The fact that I did a number on Denzel Bentley and won the title, I'm seen as the favourite."

Heaney against Pauls will be the headline act in the seven-title fight card at the Resorts World Arena but, despite so much resting on his fight, Heaney says he is not feeling any extra pressure.

"I'd say no," he said. "The pressure's always there. I want to win I don't want to lose. I can't imagine waking up the next day feeling like you'd let the whole city down.

"Denzel Bentley overlooked me, one hundred per cent. I saw him making comments on Twitter. He said something along the lines of 'I cant wait to fight Janibek [Alimkhanuly, world champion]', and he was talking about him like I didn't exist and our fight had been announced.

"I thought 'you've overlooked me' and I don't want to make the same mistake."

Heaney says it feels "crazy" to have British heavyweight and Olympic silver medallist Joe Joyce on the undercard in Birmingham and "surreal" to think back to six years ago when he was on the verge of quitting the sport to focus on a becoming a teacher.

"The WBO [World Boxing Organisation] have ranked me fourth in the world now. I remember breaking into the top twenty-five in Great Britain and now I'm top four in the world. It's totally mad," he said.

"To look back and fast forward to now, I would've never believed it. It just shows you if you put the graft in you never know what can happen. It's happening and it's incredible."

A 19th straight win will undoubtedly bring Heaney's dream of a world title fight in his own back yard a step closer but he is doing his best to make sure he does not get distracted by all the talk of that happening.

"You don't ever want to overlook your ability and come unstuck because there's always someone out there who wants to try to beat you.

"So Stoke and all that doesn't exist. The only thing that exists is the 16th March.

"We're going to make the most of these nights because you never know when they're going to end."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/68057307

[Master]

Joe Joyce insists retirement was never a consideration and, as he lays out his vision for the rest of his career, it is clear that lucrative Middle East possibilities are firmly on his mind.

“Get some good wins, throw a title in the mix somewhere, earn some decent money,” Joyce tells Standard Sport.

“Then I can think about retirement — once I’ve made enough and had enough good fights.”

“There’s been some tough moments,” Joyce admits, reflecting on the past six months. “Life is not easy, especially when everyone is watching and commenting.

“It it tough to do it year in, year out. People talk about when you should retire — everyone likes to get involved. There are some dark moments but, like in life, you have to get back on your feet and dust yourself off.”

Joyce has grown accustomed to the noise, commentary on what can appear a cumbersome style nothing new. His ability, and so often willingness, to take a punch has often been presented as a key strength, but the question is whether that approach can work at the top level.

He interrupts: “Everyone was saying, ‘Oh, your chin...’ and then I got f****ing knocked out in the third round. They jinxed me!”

Joyce dismisses the suggestion that his punch resistance may have diminished, instead crediting a “really powerful” Zhang. Even at 38, he maintains he can address his weaknesses. So, what are they?

“Defence would be a good one,” Joyce laughs.

“I can dish it out and receive it, but I’d prefer not to. Maybe I could move out the way, perhaps block. That would be better.”

“I haven’t got to the top of the mountain,” he says.

“I was almost there with the WBO interim — how much closer can you get while the other belts are being held up for the undisputed fight? I still believe I can become a world champion.”

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...a8758c3&ei=178

[Spicoli]

Has Joyce ever been on the Middle East gravy train? Similarly to Zhang ironically enough...Joyce coming in at career high 290lb . And he's dropping the R word. I've always liked Joe, but he sounds like a man with one foot clearly out the door.

[TIC]

this fight brings down the quality of the card

[Primo Carnera]

Has Joyce ever been on the Middle East gravy train? Similarly to Zhang ironically enough...Joyce coming in at career high 290lb . And he's dropping the R word. I've always liked Joe, but he sounds like a man with one foot clearly out the door.

When a HW Comes in at a career high weight in a comeback fight and tells the World and his wife they’ve had a great camp or are in great shape, it always raises a red flag for me.
He could probably come in at 390lbs and beat Kash Ali……….but he might get his ear bitten off!

[Master]

Do not know if this works.

[Master]

O' Leary back into the contest after a good start but then losing the middle rounds to the Belgium who is now cut.

[Master]

Magnificent left hook by O'Leary to finish the fight in the 9th round.

Peach of a punch.