Written by Declan Taylor
AS Joe Joyce and Dereck Chisora prepare for the heavyweight London derby at the o2 Arena on Saturday, we look at how both men can win the match. With an age of 78 and a combined weight of close to 40st, anything can happen when they go head-to-head, so have the bookies gone wrong by making Joyce the heavy favourite?
JOE JOYCE – KEYS TO WIN
The chin
Of course, the key to Joe Joyce’s victory over many in the past. Before he met Zhilei Zhang, it seemed that the Earlsfield man’s chin was actually immortal. He was caught innocent by other heavyweights in every fight but he became stronger. Instead, he would continue to move them down, down to the head and body and finally get the finish. Chisora is guaranteed to bring the heat, but if Joyce can soak it all in there is no way he is losing this one.
Distance
Joyce has significant height and reach advantages over Chisora. Now, it is his job to use them. Chisora likes to move forward, punching and weaving his way to avoid attacks, before throwing hard hooks from mid-short range. If Joyce can use a long, hard jab to stop Chisora from getting close to him, he will win a clear score. It’s a long, patient and methodical game plan but it’s one he was used to against Daniel Dubois and he can do it again here.
Engine
Along with that granite chin, Joyce’s motor has been one of his trademarks throughout his career. He has the ability to throw deep volume into a fight where most other heavyweights have faded. His challenge, aged 38 and after a poor performance against Kash Ali in his last outing, is to recreate it here. Chisora is also famous for his ability to keep coming despite being punished but in Joyce he may have found someone who can finish him every round.
Joe Joyce nails Joseph Parker during their September 24 fight in Manchester (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
DEREK CHISORA – KEYS TO WIN
Inside the fight
If Chisora stays in the long range against Joyce, he’ll just have to do a lot of damage over the course of 12 rounds to win. He’s never been the greatest heavyweight, so he’s always found a way to get in close, stay on his opponent’s chest and work from a distance. He is incredibly dangerous when he drives his opponent to the ropes and if he can force Joyce into the corners, he will have a chance to test that chin.
Power
The old saying goes that the last thing to go is the fighter’s boxing – and at 40 years of age, Chisora will be hoping that means it right. He’s never been the biggest one-punch man in the division but go ask heavyweights like Artur Szpilka and Carlos Takam if Del Boy can crack. The jury is still out on Joyce’s chin, given how Zhang cleaned him in their September rematch and Chisora hopes it will be broken once and for all. It’s almost guaranteed that the two will stay connected at the same time, so it will be a matter of whose chin holds the longest.
Chaos
Few fighters in this generation have guaranteed more feats during promotion than Chisora. As he once said to his former manager Steve Goodwin, after threatening to pull out of a fight with Dillian Whyte at the last minute, ‘this is what happens when you face a madman’.
He’s beaten Vitali Klitschko, spat in Wladimir’s face, caused a stir at a weigh-in in Germany, bitten and kissed his opponents and has racked up a long bill for broken press conference furniture.
Joyce, on the other hand, is a free and friendly character. If Chisora can make this fight week uncomfortable for Joyce and allow that to carry over into Saturday night, he could distract his opponent enough to get upset.
Source link
