Joe Joyce's career should be looked at positively

Isn't he a prime example of a mismanaged fight career? Near 40 and not even 20 pro fights yet. Being viewed as a prospect well into his 30s.

 

From a legacy/achievement point of view, he's been very well managed. He's ultimately always been a limited heavyweight: mind-bogglingly slow with poor defence, even before Zhang brutalised him, Joyce was getting outboxed for periods by an ancient Bryant Jennings, he lost every single round before he stopped Takam, etc

So for someone as limited as Joyce to have picked up an interim world title and beaten a former champion in Parker and a current champion in Dubois is pretty impressive (as the original poster said). Warren did a good job getting him that far. The only mismanagement was letting him face Zhang, which was a terrible matchup for him.

 

Started boxing at 23. Wanted to go to the Olympics and turned pro after winning a medal in 2016. He was already 32 when he turned pro, it was always going to be a race against time for him. Won the British title against Dubois in his 12th fight and won the interim WBO world title against Parker in his 15th fight.

I'd say him and his team did pretty well with the limited time they had. Had some solid paydays too.

Taking the Zhang fight for no reason while waiting for a title shot is still one of the dumbest decision I've ever seen though.

 

He made a good run, and although it is unlikely that he will ever fully rebound, he's got time for another run if he finds the desire to get in shape and do it.

 

Sure. It's weird to me, when you hang out with people interested in other sports, it seems like there's so much more respect for people who stand out at all, as things expand outward from whatever region, people operating at the state or province level, at the national level, at the international level, people just respect how you did so much more than boxing people seem to. In boxing, somebody that gets into the top 10-20 competitors in their weight class in the world, an Olympian before going pro, and people cannnnnnnnnot waaaaaaaaait to defecate over annnnnnything they do. Online. Probably a bit of feeling emasculated by these hulks, I suspect, with a lot of them. Joyce's entire athletic resume should seriously embarrass the poster failing at local-bar-level darts who is fixing his mouth to talk bollocks about him.

 

Agreed. Even now when he's faded he will likely make a very good gate keeper, tough, durable, will give the fans exciting fights. I don't think his career is over yet, if he's willing to fight anyone and continue to give fans exciting fights he can still make good money and might even upset the odd prospect on the way. I'd pick him over guys like Anderson or Sanchez. Maybe at some point the winner of the Wardley/Clarke rematch will look to step up against him.

 

No his 'career' shouldn't be celebrated at all.
He was a fake product marketed for years to spin money while protecting him into middle-age.
Investors pumped all kinds of funds into him while he fought shot names.
He's everything that's wrong with this dodgy 'sport' and the sports media.
And it's not like he just lost to Zhang either, he got destroyed, and being indestructible was the whole propaganda thrust behind him.
Then he loses to Chisora who was done as a top contender by Fury II, which was a decade ago.

 

Funny how Joyce's career has gone since he beat Dubois and Parker and in turn how Dubois and Parkers career has gone on the opposite trajectory.

Didnt Joyce recently duck Bakole in favour of Chisora?

 

I agree; I would prefer him to retire rather than become a gatekeeper but Joyce's career is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of at all. As you say he has some great wins (Parker and Dubois), and whilst things came off the rails with the Zhang duology, Zhang is an excellent fighter in his own right and a terrible match up for Joyce. IMO the big what if with Joyce is what would have happened if turned pro earlier; people meme about his speed but he was considerably quicker in his amateur days and earlier in his pro career. I think if he turned pro earlier he could have possibly picked up a belt in the post-Klitschko landscape.

 

As to how he does fighting on, I dunno. Hopefully, maybe he'll manage to have a mini Chisora type second wind/ Indian Summer. Maybe we'll see the best of what he's got left.

Defense and style aside, age is also an equal negative factor for him now. He's 39 soon.

 

He can't even beat a shot to pieces Chisora who was literally a dead man walking for nearly half the fight. At this point anyone with a pulse who has power and some level of durability beats him. Maybe a rematch with Yoka, which would be a last chance for either to remain relevant.

 

Chisora did what Chisora does; languish against the ropes for the majority of the fight throwing the occasional winging overhand right. Chisora only "won" if you ignore Joyce battering him on the ropes for the majority of the fight.