Joe Joyce Remembers the Last Time He Sparred Anthony Joshua: “Steep Learning Curve For Me at the Time”

British heavyweight Joe Joyce (12-0-0) is all set to face Cameroonian-French boxer Carlos Takam (39-5-1) on July 24, at the SSE Arena in Wembley, London. Ahead of his fight this weekend, ‘Juggernaut’ Joyce acknowledged in a BT Sport interview that Carlos Takam could possibly be his toughest opponent yet. The British boxer believes that if he secures a win against Takam, he might be the next mandatory challenger for the winner of the upcoming bout between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk.

Joe Joyce revealed both opponents are tough and would require different preparations. However, he expressed he would bet his money on Anthony Joshua. Joyce added he wants to face Joshua in either Wembley or Nigeria. Both of them have trained together before and it would definitely make for a massive British heavyweight showdown.

When asked about his preference between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk, Joyce replied: “Either of them is a tough fight and I’d have to prepare differently but my money’s on Joshua so hopefully I’ll get a pop at him”.

Watch This Story: Top 5 Best Selling PPVs of Floyd Mayweather’s Fighting Career

“AJ I’ve shared the ring with before when I was very inexperienced as a, you know, steep learning curve for me at the time. Spent a lot of time with him on the GB training camp, for what, for like four-five years. So, we know each other inside and out and it will make one of the biggest British heavyweight clashes,” said Joe Joyce.

Can Joe Joyce defeat Carlos Takam?

‘The Juggernaut’ has 12 wins and no losses on his records. Whereas, Carlos Takam is the more experienced fighter with 39 losses, 5 wins, and 1 draw.

Joe Joyce is coming off a knockout win over Daniel Dubois. He thinks Takam could be a tougher opponent than Dubois. The British heavyweight acknowledged that his 40-year-old opponent is an experienced fighter, has good striking, head movement, and can take hits to the face.

Read More: Manny Pacquiao Career Losses : Who Defeated the Legend?

“He’s got good head movement, experience. It’s going to be a different kind of fight than Dubois, a tougher fight. He’s got a good chin and he can bang,” said Joyce.

Joe Joyce has some obvious advantages over Takam. He has a longer reach and is taller by nearly four inches.

This gives him the ability to use his jab effectively on shorter opponents. Joyce is the more powerful striker as he has 11 KOs in his 12 professional bouts.

1. The British heavyweight will try to maintain distance to set Takam up for a clean knockout. Being a shorter opponent, Carlos Takam could try to close the distance and deliver effective jabs from inside and nullify his opponent’s efforts to create room for extended shots.

Both Joyce and Takam plan on facing Anthony Joshua next. Do you want to see Anthony Joshua compete with Joe Joyce?

Read More: Joe Joyce Gives Insight Into Gennady Golovkin’s Training Sessions: ‘His Sparring Partners Had to Have Body Armor’