Joe Joyce has given two reasons why he believes Anthony Joshua is ducking him in the paid ranks. The Juggernaut says that Joshua won’t entertain the match-up because he is signed onto a rival promotional outfit (Queensbury Promotions) and doesn’t have enough followers.
Joyce has been calling for a fight with Joshua since he turned over as a pro in 2017 and is keen to avenge his loss to the Watford powerhouse from his amateur days back in 2011. But Joyce’s name was nowhere to be seen in AJ’s three-fight plan for this year.
According to promoter Eddie Hearn, Joshua will return to the ring in April against a ‘credible top 15 opponent’, before a summer showdown with Dillian Whyte and then a blockbuster bout with either Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury to close out the year.
When asked whether he is surprised that his name wasn’t thrown into the mix by Hearn, Joyce told iD Boxing: “It’s not a surprise because when does Joshua mention my name. Apart from when I was in the Olympics, soon as I turned pro, he didn’t mention my name or Eddie Hearn.
Speaking about Joshua’s comeback following back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk, Joyce affirmed that his successes depend on how whether he can snap out of his ‘apprehensive’ state.
“He’s not gun shy but he’s apprehensive about being knocked out because he’s been knocked out a few times. He prefers to be on the back foot and out of danger. It will tell when we see the rematch with him and Dillian Whyte.
“Because in the Dillian Whyte fight, he was getting hit with big shots, he was wobbling on his feet but was still coming forward. Something obviously changed after the Ruiz loss but he’s still a good fighter and there’s plenty of interesting fights for him and I’d like to fight him as well.”