It has been announced officially that British heavyweights Joe Joyce and Derek Chisora will collide in London on July 27th. The fight will go down at The O2 and will be televised by TNT Sports. This fight has pure violence written all over it, while at the same time, this is match up between two warriors who both need to show how much they have got left.
Chisora, who is now aged 40, has amassed a 34-13(23) record and “War” as the Londoner is known has been in many wars during his ring career. For some time now, fans have been calling for Chisora’s retirement from the sport, so concerned have fans been for his long term health. But now here comes Chisora again, against fellow Brit Joyce, one of the heaviest punchers out there, albeit one who is not too swift of either foot or hand.
Joyce has had far less fights at 16-2(15) and he is the younger man by a couple of years. But ever since those two crushing stoppage defeats at the hands of Zhilei Zhang, Joyce has had some fans thinking that he too should perhaps think about calling it a career. This fight could prove to be a real, ‘I’ll hit you, you hit me’ slugfest, with both men’s chins being testes hard. It doesn’t promise to be at all pretty, but it could be entertaining.
Chisora last boxed in August of last year, this when he pounded out a decision win over fellow veteran Gerald Washington. Joyce has won one fight since being parked by Zhang, this a tougher, or at least longer than expected win over Kash Ali, who “The Juggernaut” finally stopped in the 10th round in March.
Promoter Frank Warren says this one is a “proper old school heavyweight fight that seems to have been a long time in the making.”
It has indeed taken some time for these two big men to get matched together, and you could argue how it’s a case of, better late than never. Some critics, though, will say this fight will largely result is brain damage for one or both men. Again, put the kids to bed before this one starts, and those of us who are at all sensitive to the human condition might want to give this one a miss.
Joyce is the early pick to win here, simply as he has got significantly less miles on his fighting clock. It is to be hoped both guys pick up a nice payday here. They will earn it, no doubt. And they will perhaps pay for it one day, one day when all the fans have long since stopped cheering for them.