JOE JOYCE looked on track for the heavyweight title after destroying Daniel Dubois in 2020 – now he fights to save his career.
Joyce faces Filip Hrgovic on Saturday in Manchester looking to KO any talk of retirement following his punishing points loss to Derek Chisora last July.
The 2016 Olympic silver medallist was once touted as a contender for the world heavyweight championship.
His crowning night came in November 2020 – but no one was there to watch it.
Joyce took on Dubois – during the coronavirus pandemic – behind-closed-doors at Church House in London.
A handful of people, from select media to fight night officials, watched the anticipated British and Commonwealth title fight.
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It was closely contested until gruesome swelling caused Dubois’ left eye to completely close up as a consequence of Joyce’s jab.
Dubois was left unable to see and reduced to taking a knee in round ten – where he surrendered.
Joyce’s brilliant lead left hand, punch accuracy and pressure was overshadowed by harsh criticism levelled Dubois’ way.
Promoter Frank Warren even had to defend Dubois – who suffered a fractured orbital bone – amid claims he QUIT in the ring.
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Warren said: “I understand what they said but he was in pain and had already been fighting three rounds with his eye totally closed.
“Anthony Ogogo fought on when he with an eye injury when he shouldn’t have and it ruined his career.
“Everyone can be wise afterwards but he got caught on the eye which was damaged.
“Daniel had been telling his corner in between rounds that every time he got caught there it was excruciating and if he had fought on it could have got worse.
“They would’ve pulled him out at the end of the [10th] round anyway. He was hampered from that injury from the third round but even if he lost the next two rounds it could have been a draw.
“There was nothing in that fight, I had him [Dubois] a round up. But take nothing away from Joe Joyce, he boxed excellently, and he’s now in an excellent position.
“They have to wait for the swelling to go down before deciding what to do.
“It’s definitely a broken orbital bone and he’s seen a specialist to see if he needs surgery.”
Dubois did not need surgery but his road back was not easy.
He was beaten by Oleksandr Usyk in nine rounds despite arguing that a low-blow landed in the fifth was instead legal.
But Dubois bounced back with big wins over Jarrell Miller and Hrgovic – where he won the IBF interim title.
And after Usyk vacated the strap to rematch Tyson Fury – beating him twice in 2024 – Dubois was elevated to full champion.
He knocked out Anthony Joshua in his first defence in September – marking a stunning career turnaround.
For Joyce, things have played out drastically differently.
After beating Dubois, he won three on the spin against Carlos Takam, Christian Hammer and Joseph Parker.
He was even the WBO mandatory for the title held by Usyk at the time – with talk of also challenging Fury for the WBC belt at Wembley.
But he took an interim bout against Zhilei Zhang in April 2023 – suffering a round six stoppage with a similar eye injury to Dubois’.
Zhang then brutally KOd Joyce in the rematch – leaving his title hopes in tatters and his career in question.
Joyce did return with a routine but uninspired win over Kash Ali in March 2024 but was dropped on the way to a points loss to Chisora.
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He refused retirement and was due to face Dillian Whyte next.
But Whyte pulled out with a finger injury – with Hrgovic agreeing to fill in as a replacement for what could be a make-or-break night for Joyce.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
