With the eagerly-anticipated collision between Joe Joyce and Derek Chisora just a day away, we’re looking at which of the two giants will come out on top.
The fearsome heavyweights are set to go toe-to-toe in a fan-friendly affair inside the O2 Arena in London, UK.
Joe Joyce vs Derek Chisora: A tactical breakdown
Throughout their careers, Joe Joyce and Derek Chisora have exhibited incredible engines, which they’ve used to overwhelm and ultimately drown most of their opponents.
While neither man is renowned for their technical boxing skills, they have captivating all-action styles, which have allowed them to garner huge fan bases.
However, while similar, there are differences in their styles. Joyce looks to break fighters down with his jab before unleashing slow yet persistent shots, while Chisora bulldozes forward, looking to land huge swinging hooks.
Outside of the ring, they couldn’t be less similar. ‘The Juggernaut’ is quiet and reserved with a fine art degree, while his opponent lives for chaos.
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From slapping Vitali Klitschko to launching a table at Dillian Whyte, the 40-year-old is wild and unpredictable.
Regardless, when they meet in the ring, they’ll both give it their all in equal measure, as they look to pick up one of the greatest scalps of their careers.
Stylistically, the match looks destined to excite, as the pair meet in the middle and trade bombs. Joyce will look to pepper his rival with the jab, while Chisora will look to bob and weave under the former WBO interim world champion’s shots, before coming over the top with heavy blows.
The well-mannered boxer must look to use his superior footwork to bamboozle his opponent, while ‘War’ has to do everything in his power to remind his opponent exactly what it felt like moments before he was rendered unconscious by Zhilei Zhang.
But which fighter do we think will implement their game plan and come out the victor?
Joe Joyce vs Derek Chisora: The Prediction
At this stage of their careers, both men have seen better days.
In Joyce’s comeback fight following his second consecutive loss against ‘Big Bang’, he laboured to a victory over Kash Ali, in a bout where he took far too many punches.
Meanwhile, Chisora’s most recent victory came against Gerald Washington, but prior to that, he suffered punishing losses against Tyson Fury and Joseph Parker, with a controversial victory over Kubrat Pulev slotted in between.
Somehow, despite all the defeats and brutal fights over the years, the polarizing sportsman has always found a way to bounce back. Thus, with this being his final appearance at the O2 and with Joyce clearly on the slide, there’s a very real chance that he could take the Frank Warren-promoted athlete into darker places than he’s capable of escaping.
However, while Zhang was a nightmare match-up, at least on paper, with a come-forward style, Chisora is made for Joyce.
The Olympian doesn’t have a complex puzzle to solve. Instead, his adversary will walk into the fire, which is why we’re ever so slightly giving the edge to Joyce.
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