JOE JOYCE has revealed that Oleksandr Usyk urged him to be “patient” after being called out.
Prior to Usyk getting his first bout with Anthony Joshua, which saw him become heavyweight champion, the Ukrainian was being hounded for a fight by old foe Joyce.
Seeing that his opportunity to become champion was about to come, the 35-year-old told the “Juggernaut” to wait.
Joyce, 37, has since moved himself right into the title picture himself with impressive wins over Daniel Dubois, Carlos Takam, Christian Hammer and Joseph Parker.
His impressive form has seen him rise to third in line for a shot at Usyk’s WBO title – while he is next in waiting for Fury’s WBC crown.
The Juggernaut fought Usyk as an amateur in 2013, losing the bout on points.
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He is itching for another shot at the man dubbed “The Cat” – this time with titles on the line.
Speaking to iD Boxing, he said: “I have messaged him and DM’d him on Instagram, this was before the Joshua fight and our names were being lined up.
“And he was like ‘nah, patience, patience’ and then obviously he got the Joshua (fight) and beat him twice but that’s a fight I’d like to have.”
A perfect 15-0 since turning pro, Joyce reckons that he can “get to” Usyk, should he be afforded the opportunity.
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He told Sky Sports: “I think I would start to get to him.
“If I can keep the pressure up. He is a very skilful fighter, but at this level it’s all going to be tough from here on in.
“This time I would be more prepared and have a proper training camp geared towards him.
“It’s over 12 rounds with smaller gloves and I’ve come a long way since then. It was a long time ago.
“It takes 10 years to reach sporting excellence. I’ve surpassed that and I’m still learning, so it would be a great fight over 12 rounds.”
First, Usyk appears likely to take on Fury in the unification bout boxing fans have been waiting for.
The duo are expected to finally face off either next month or in early March.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
