Daniel Dubois (15-1, 14 KOs) was always viewed as the next young great fighter from the United Kingdom. That may still be the case, but for now, 35-year-old Joe Joyce’s time is now.
The 2016 Olympic silver medalist was viewed as a prohibited underdog in his contest against Dubois, and in the early stages, it was easy to see why. Dubois dictated the pace early on and evaded the sluggish shots that were coming in his direction.
Joyce (12-0, 11 KOs) on the other hand, outside of his jab, couldn’t get his offense going. Although Joyce could only land his set up shot, it was all he needed as the left eye of Dubois began to swell profusely.
With each passing round, the steam coming from the end of Dubois’s punches began dissipating. The 23-year-old began holding more and his punches came far and few between. For Joyce, he began taking advantage. The 35-year-old still couldn’t put together any of his combinations but the jab continued to be a problem for Dubois.
After watching the undefeated prospect’s eye go from swollen to completely shut, Joyce continued to target it. In the 10th round, Joyce saw his emphasis on attacking Dubois’s left eye pay dividends. With one short jab in the round, Dubois staggered back. As Joyce pressed forward, Dubois took a knee to stop the onslaught.
The referee in charge began his countdown as Dubois attempted to wipe at his injured eye. At the very last second, the young 23 year old attempted to jump back to his feet. However, the referee waved off the contest, handing him the first loss of his career.
Following the win, Joyce was asked who he had his eye’s on next. Without hesitation, Joyce answered with only one word.
“Usyk.”
