Is Joe Joyce the Real Deal?

Absolutely

I am a huge admirer of Joyce

 

Is he the real deal? Maybe.

As boxing fans generally we tend to hype fighters on the up, in some cases long before they've really done anything significant.

Joyce fits the above to a tee.

He looks really solid at the level of competition he's been in with, and his resume for a guy with only 13 fights is pretty exceptional...
But it's still worth noting what level he's actually been tested at - his best three wins are two lesser gatekeepers in Jennings & Takam and an extremely green prospect in Dubois (often overhyped as a win because Dubois was hopelessly overrated, with people inexplicably considering him top ten when he hasn't even beaten his first gatekeeper yet).

Such fighters get the hype on the way up, but until the dust settles and their level is shown by more significant wins or by losses, there's often a skewed outlook on their place in the division.

Joyce might go on to fight and/or beat some actual contenders or even champions, but it's ludicrous to call any fighter elite when they've fought nobody in the top ten.

For me, Joyce is overrated for the moment - he's not proven to be anywhere near elite yet, he's not really even proven he's a true contender yet... He looks like he's got a decent chance of going there, but experience tells you to be wary, lots of fighters look like they've got a chance and never make it.

 

What is your definition of "elite"? A lot of arbitrary terms get thrown around here and elite is one of them, and there seems to be countless definitions.

 

he has a place in the current hw scene. most other eras he would not be taken as seriously as today. he isnt a particularly good boxer, hes slow and predictable. his success is more a product of the sad level of talent at hw than actual fighting ability.

 

True.

Not the easiest term to tie down exactly, either, but for me it's heavily linked to resume - to be elite, you have to be proven competitive (largely successful or very close) against the best in the division, whether that's pre-existing elites or a good number of genuine contenders.

That might just be one of two fighters per division at any given time, it might be a few more but it's always going to be the select few.

It would be fair to say that Joyce would have a hard time making that standard with his age and how late he moved up, he'd have to be fighting the elite of the division (for me right now, that's just AJ and just about Fury by the definition above) and going close, or taking on multiple genuine contenders a year at this point.

It would also be fair to say that I can't call Usyk an elite heavyweight unless he beats Joshua (or is robbed), too.

 

Not to be confused with Fat Speed.

 

Yeah you have, you have banged the Joyce drum for a long time.


I will be honest I wasn't sold on at first even though other pros talked very highly of him, but I'm a believer now.

I would like to see Joyce Vs Whyte, Joyce would beat Whyte senseless and then the British public would start to believe in him too, I think he needs a fight like that to get him in to people's minds and in to those big fight conversations.

 

Joyce is a big ol unit that has to date kept winning, so yes i think he is the real deal, will he get world title, possibly yes, but the way titles are tied up with rematches and possible superfight for undisputed title i fear time and age are not on his side.

 

Fat Speed = Andy Ruiz


It's a real thing.

 

Definitely down for that - he needs to get on with stepping up to contenders if he's ever going to have time for championship fights.

His resume needs it too.
If he's to be considered a genuine threat, he needs to prove it - it's ludicrous to see him as that with the resume he has right now.

 

Spot on comparison!

 

Yes if he was 6 years younger

 

I disagree. He has very limited mileage on the clock and his genetics will always keep him in the game.

Wait till Tyson Fury is 40 years old, he will look like his dad.

Joshua will fade out.

Whereas Joyce will be like George Foreman.

 

Joyce-Joshua is a matchup I've really wanted to see for a while (though not with any expectation that it would come to bear).


You went on to mention the sturdiness of Joyce's chin, and I don't think Joshua would have the confidence/boldness to pick up his offense to the degree he'd need to to force a stoppage against a fighter with the compound of attributes and characteristics Joyce possesses. Joshua can land shots, eye-catching single shots, but he'd be too mentally occupied to get off many combinations or follow up on nice connects.

 

Joyce is deceptive - he can look slow and ponderous, but he can change his rythym in a flash which really disrupts his opponent.

• He has a super-solid jab (just ask Dubois)
• Eats hard shots like they are nothing - great chin
• Throws a lot and seems to have a good gastank to keep throwing for 12 rounds

This all makes him a hard nights work for ANYONE in the current top 10 - including Usyk and Fury.

I think he beats Joshua and Wilder through attrition.

I also think he might be the biggest threat to Usyk given he looks like he could still be throwing hard shots in round 12.

Joyce doesn't really look great on the eye-test unless you pay attention, but he is incredibly effective.