By Declan Taylor
AS Joe Joyce and Dereck Chisora prepare for their heavyweight London derby at the o2 Arena on Saturday, we take a look at how both men can win this clash. With a combined age of 78 and a combined weight close to 40st, anything could happen when they collide, so have the bookies got it wrong by making Joyce an overwhelming favourite?
JOE JOYCE – KEYS TO VICTORY
Chin
Of course, the key to many a Joe Joyce victory in the past. Before he encountered Zhilei Zhang, it seemed as though the Earlsfield man’s chin was essentially indestructible. He was getting caught clean by other heavyweights in every single fight but barely flinching. Instead, he would continue to walk them down, unload to head and body and eventually find a finish. Chisora is guaranteed to bring the heat, but if Joyce can soak it all up there is no way he loses this.
Distance
Joyce holds significant height and reach advantages over Chisora. Now, it is his job to make use of them. Chisora likes to move forward, bobbing and weaving on his way in to avoid attacks, before throwing hard hooks from mid to short range. If Joyce can use a long, hard jab to stop Chisora getting near him, he will box his way to a clear points win. It is a long, patient and methodical gameplan but it is one he used to perfection against Daniel Dubois and he can do it once again here.
Engine
Along with that granite chin, Joyce’s engine has been one of his trademarks throughout his career. He has an ability to throw with volume deep into the fight when most other heavyweights have faded. The challenge for him, at 38 years old and off the back of a lacklustre performance against Kash Ali in his last outing, is to recreate it here. Chisora also has a reputation for his ability to keep coming despite sustained punishment but in Joyce he might have found someone who can simply outwork him for every round.
In their September 24 clash in Manchester, Joe Joyce lands a solid punch on Joseph Parker, as captured by Alex Livesey/Getty Images.
DEREK CHISORA – KEYS TO VICTORY
Inside fighting
If Chisora lingers at mid to long range against Joyce, he will simply sustain too much damage over the course of 12 rounds to win. He has never been the biggest heavyweight, so he has always found a way of getting close, sitting on his opponent’s chest and working away from close up. He is incredibly dangerous when he manoeuvres his opponent onto the ropes and if he can force Joyce into corners, he will have a chance to test that chin.
Power
The old adage is that the last thing to go is a fighter’s punch – and at 40 years old, Chisora will be hoping to prove that saying right. He has never been the biggest one-punch man in the division but go and ask solid heavyweights like Artur Szpilka and Carlos Takam if Del Boy can crack. The jury is still out on Joyce’s chin, given the way in which Zhang cleaned him out in their September rematch and Chisora will be hoping it is shattered forever. It is almost guaranteed that these two will be left hooking at the same time at some point, so it could be a case of whose chin holds up longest.
Mayhem
There have been few fighters of this generation to guarantee more antics during a fight promotion than Chisora. As he once said to his former manager Steve Goodwin, after he threatened to pull out of a fight with Dillian Whyte at the last minute, ‘this is what happens when you deal with the insane’.
He slapped Vitali Klitschko, spat water in Wladimir’s face, went on a rampage at a weigh-in in Germany, has bitten and kissed opponents and has accrued a lengthy bill for broken press conference furniture.
Joyce, meanwhile, is a largely docile and friendly character. If Chisora can make this fight week uncomfortable for Joyce and allow that to seep into Saturday night, he could unsettle his opponent enough to spring an upset.
