Joe Joyce faces Derek Chisora in a twelve-round heavyweight bout this Saturday, July 27, on ESPN+ at the O2 Arena in London, England. The event begins at 2:00 pm ET. It will also be shown live on TNT Sports in the UK.
It's unclear what kind of ratings ESPN hopes to get for Joyce-Chisora in the US 2016 Olympic silver medalist Joyce has lost two of her last three fights and has looked awful in the tournament.
You could call it a stalking level match for the 38-year-old 'Juggernaut' Joyce (16-2, 15 KOs) because he still has a little room in the tank, but not much.
If Joyce has the talent he showed in round 11 Joseph Parker in September 2022, he should make easy work of Chisora on Saturday night. This fight isn't exactly the same on paper, as the 6'6″ Joyce is on another level as Chisora.
Fans find both of these heavyweights ready to hit the bullseye, but somehow, they still manage to draw crowds in the UK at headline events. Chisora, 40, (34-13, 23 KOs) looked awful in his last fight, knocking out Kash Ali in the tenth round last March.
Joyce can still beat some of the top 15 competitors. It is surprising that he is given Chisora as a rival. He deserves better than this because Joyce's only two losses are against Zhilei Zhang. That's a guy even Anthony Joshua can't fight because of the huge risk involved in a powerful southpaw.
Chisora has been beaten repeatedly over the past four years, losing to the following fighters:
– Tyson Fury
– Joseph Parker x 2
– Oleksandr Usyk
Chisora has lost four of his last six fights, one of his fights against 40-year-old Kubrat Pulev was a controversial 12-round split decision in July 2022.
In Chisora's last fight, he defeated 41-year-old Gerald Washington via a ten-round unanimous decision in August 2023. That was 11 months ago, and you have to wonder why it took so long for Chisora to get back in the ring.
What's interesting is how much Chisora has made as a gatekeeper/journeyman-level fighter. According to Solezwe, Chisora has an estimated net worth of £12 million [$15 million]. That's amazing for someone who fights at this low level. If you're a heavy hitter, moving to the UK can be a good idea because that's where the money is.
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