Tomorrow night in Birmingham, “The Juggernaut” will roll again. Joe Joyce, looking to bounce back after his two quite crushing losses to Zhilei Zhang and his “Big Bang,” faces huge underdog Kash Ali. Ali, six years the younger man at age 32, is best known for a biting performance against David Price; Ali slung out for repeatedly sinking his teeth into Price back in their March 2019 fight.
Since that disgraceful night, Ali, born in Birmingham but now living in Rotherham, has gone 6-1, with him actually losing his last fight, this against Bohdan Myronets who decisioned him in July of last year. Tomorrow’s fight will see Ali take a big step up in class, even if the jury is out on how much Joyce has left.
Ali, 21-2(12) and never stopped, says he will give us an answer as far as how much Joyce has got left “when I land one on his chin.”
Speaking with The Lowdown, Ali said he is not at all concerned about being the underdog in the fight with Joyce, 15-2(14).
“People are writing me off but I’m not concerned about that,” Ali said. “The pressure is on him. I’m the underdog. He’s had his fair share of good wins and good paydays. He can probably put his feet up and relax. It’s the end of him and although I’ve been a pro a long time this is the start for me. It’s about testing myself and this is a brilliant opportunity. We’ll find out (what Joyce has got left) when I land one on his chin. Right now everyone can say what they want but it was only his last fight he got knocked out. I’m here to beat him – I’ll be prepared for all outcomes.”
It will be interesting to see whether or not Joyce shows any ill-effects from the two Zhang stoppages, whether he is at all gun-shy in there. That said, there is every chance this one is over with in a flash, with the bigger, harder-hitting Joyce getting Ali out of there in a round or two, without even being hit in return himself.
When this fight was announced, plenty of fans groaned and moaned that it was a poor fight for Joyce, a real mismatch he will of course win yet prove nothing with. Maybe. But coming back from two horrible losses can be tough for any fighter. Ali feels he is in the right place at the right time to be able to capitalise.
It would be a monster upset if Ali beat Joyce, but as Ali says himself, “it’s the heavyweights.”
Pick: Joyce will take his time, bag a couple of confidence-restoring rounds, before he lowers the boom and takes Ali out in the third.
