Boxing professionals share their reactions to Joe Joyce's shock win over Daniel Dubois
'Juggernaut' Joe Joyce shocked a lot of non-believers when he stunned a badly marked up Daniel Dubois with a strong jab in the 10th round of their British heavyweight title fight.
The defining blow followed on from an unending attack of accurate jabs to the left eye of 'DDD' to cause a huge swelling so the unbeaten powerhouse from Greenwich was unable to see out of it at all. He took a knee under the painful shot from underdog Joyce and couldn't continue any further in the fight. Full fight report HERE
The stoppage has resulted in a lot of mixed opinions from the boxing world, with many accusing the heavy favourite, Dubois, of 'quitting'.
BBN asked their panel of experts for their reactions in the aftermath of the British heavyweight title fight.
Anthony Fowler
WBA International super-welterweight champion
"You've got to question Dubois' heart, he got hit back and didn't like it, then stayed down there and didn't wanna beat the count. Well done Joe Joyce."
Anthony Crolla
Former WBA World lightweight champion
"Great fight and Joe Joyce proved many wrong, me included. Much more than an unbelievable chin and engine.
I also think Dubois can come back and win a world title."
Steve Wood
Boxing Manager & Promoter
"He definitely stopped fighting when he could have carried on, and with the score cards, he could even have gone on to win.
The eye was bad from very early on so had fought a long time with it so the decision he made was a strange one, but we do not know what damage has been done to his eye, the decision may have saved his career!
It was a simple plan of sticking the jab out for Joe Joyce, he rarely missed which exposed Dubuis who never slipped it and had poor head movement.
As I just stated, he could have avoided the jab better but overall it was not a great fight really although the tension kept me entertained. Dubois seemed not to throw his left hand as previously seen and Joyce threw very little of his clubbing right hand, it was like both had injuries… no combinations, no uppercuts.
Dubois will need a couple of testing learning fights next to build back up again.
Will Joyce beat Usyk? Good fight, cannot write him of with that chin!!"
Paul Stevenson
Everton Red Triange Head Coach
"It’s hard to say if he could have continued, it was a surprise reaction definitely. Boxing history is full of examples of fighters who suffered terrible injuries in the ring but fought through it and won and changed their lives forever. People are so rarely tested like that in everyday life and in moments of extreme stress the mind can play tricks on you, you can convince yourself that the job is hopeless even when success is right around the corner. But that quick, life-changing decision will haunt a fighter until he gets the chance to put it right.
Joyce’s plan seemed very simple which was to out jab Dubois and it worked probably better than Joyce expected and Dubois’ jab, while still effective, wasn’t as accurate or busy or damaging. But Dubois’ counter strategy of using big right hands and more varied attacks had him just ahead on my card but he had to work very hard to win his rounds. In the end Dubois couldn’t adapt, couldn’t stop the jab coming through and it told.
Dubois didn’t defend the jab which ultimately cost him the fight. Joyce’s jab comes from an unusual angle and he has an unorthodox style but in the ring the fighter has to be able to adapt to the unexpected and that didn’t happen.
Rebuilding him is tricky. He’s still young and he’s got ability but what will being forced to quit do to his confidence? How far back down the ladder should they take him? Only his team and promoter can know that. He can come again, I’m sure.
I’d be very surprised if Joyce could beat someone like Usyk or any of the top heavies out there as I don’t think he has the variety and adaptability of those lads, though he does have a great chin and he’s a big old unit."
Carl Greaves
Boxing Coach & Manager
"Only Dubois will know that answer, was he in so much pain he couldn't continue or did he just think that's me done… who knows!!
Joe Joyce is very experienced, he's boxed at top level as an amateur, his jab was fantastic, basically won him the fight, and the way he kept moving to his right away from Dubois' right hand was fantastic.
Because Dubois has so much power, I just think he thought soon as he lands Joyce would be in a heap of trouble, but when he realised JJ could take it he didn't really have a plan B due to his lack of experience and he struggled to get past the Joyce jab.
He would have learned more in that fight than the whole of his other fights put together and should come back stronger but that will down to how much he wants it.
Looking at Joyce, he looks so basic and ordinary but he gets results and is very difficult to beat. I know Usyk beat him in the amateurs and think he would again as a pro as I think he is too fast and mobile for JJ but would love to see Joe pull it off because he seems a really nice fella with a level head and he grew on me after last night's performance."
Anish Parekh
BBN Writer
"I hate talk about quitting. The injury was sustained early on in the fight and Dubois fought on valiantly until he could take no more. Former and fellow pros show so little empathy for a young man by kicking him while he is down and giving the green light for internet trolls to do the same, which is infuriating.
Joyce was smart. Great lateral movement, composure under pressure and discipline. He knew that throwing the right hand frequently would leave him open to the counter so relied on his jab to do the damage and gradually wear Dubois down.
I was surprised by how surprised and unsure of himself Dubois looked in between rounds. I always got the impression that he would enjoy a tear up but he looked uncomfortable once he realised Joyce wasn't going to lie down. I thought he could have moved his head a bit better and gone to the body more. He will have learned a lot sharing a ring with Joyce.
He needs to let that eye heal. Think about where he went wrong and look at parts of his training and development that need improvement.
I really like Joyce. His record is already better than most heavyweights. He has a great chin, well-timed jab, heavy hands, good balance and movement, and a great temperament. However, I think the power of Joshua and Wilder would be too much for him to withstand over 12 rounds. Fury and Usyk are smarter and technically superior to him.
With that in mind, I'd still like to see him in against those guys because he has earned his opportunity."
Erol Ceylan
German Manager & Promoter
"This fight was definitely too early for Dubois. Amateur experience is very important for a good for a pro career. He tried to knock out Joe Joyce, who has faced a lot of heavy punching opponents during his extensive career.
He worked very hard with his jab and continued his game plan even after getting tagged with some hard punches. But he knew in the end he would win. That is the different between Know-how and no experience. If Dubois hadn't withdrew from the Erik Pfeifer fight, he will have lost in the same style.
Joyce will have to face Usyk for the WBO belt. He don’t need to give Dubois a rematch. This fight was very clear. Dubois is young, he can collect experience and don’t hear people around him who says he is the best… with this quitting in the fight, he will have a lot problems because all other fighters know now he is not stable."
Louis Robinson
Heavyweight Debutant
"A lot of people are saying he quit etc, it’s easy for people to be sitting on their sofa and tweeting slating Dubois saying he quit and he’s got no heart etc, yes he did quit but I would like to see a bit more respect for him off all these keyboard warriors who wouldn’t have the bollox to get in the ring with my nan, let alone Joe Joyce or Daniel Dubois,
Joyce executed the jab perfectly and landed every time with it and was doubling it up and then moving straight out of range and to his right to stay out of range of that big right hand from Dubois and that game plan seemed to work to perfection for him on the night, they say the right hand can take you around the block but the jab can take you around the world….and that is the perfect example of why
I think Dubois could of used his own jab a lot more….could of had a lot more movement and faints to get in and doubled his jab up but we didn’t see any of that from him
I think he should have a couple of weeks off, let the eye settle and then get straight back in the gym and work on things that clearly need to be worked on, get a few warm up fights to get the confidence back and then go again, he’s still young so will go again.
I don’t know if Joyce beats Usyk, but I would certainly love to watch that, I think he gives Joshua absolute nightmares though, so would love to see that fight."
Chris Glover
Unbeaten Pro Boxer
"I think Dubois quit in the fight but Joyce was massively overlooked I personally thought it was a lot closer than people suggested and it was close. Joyce’s maturity won him the fight I believe along with his excellent jab. For me Dubois just needs more experience. Joyce can move onto bigger and better things now.
A good right hand takes you around the block, a good jab takes you around the world. That’s what fight fans can learn from Joyce Dubois."
Tim Rickson
BBN Editor
"I can't stand the talk of quitting, and it doesn't just come from casual boxing fans who know very little of the sport, it also comes from fellow professional boxers, which I find so baffling.
That swollen eye was bad for a very long time, so he fought under extreme pain and adversity for many rounds. No one is talking about the bravery it took to do that. Who knows what could have happened if he had carried on taking damage to that eye? He could have lost his sight and his entire career, you just don't know. But Dubois knows, if he didn't feel right, then he did the best thing for him.
I've already heard people saying that he's finished, which is just preposterous. One loss and he's finished? Do me a favour! His loss was to a world class amateur, who is now set to become a world class pro.
Dubois, at 23, has got many more years and many titles to come in his career. I'd like to see him take on a top domestic heavyweight, like David Price, Dereck Chisora, Hughie Fury… there's no shortage of talent and tests to choose from. I'd like him to get back to being the no.1 heavyweight prospect in the country, then retry moving up to European level once more.
Can Joyce beat Usyk if they fight next? I think Joyce can beat anyone with that awkward style, relentless punching, incredible stamina and dedication to a game plan. not a fan of his style, and I was a bit bored in that fight, only the anticipation and tension of it kept me enthralled. In fact, the whole show was a little deflating, there wasn't any standout fights for me. I prefer an MTK Global show on iFL TV where they pit two unbeaten 6-0 prospects against each other, it has much more excitement to it."
Kieran Gething
Welsh Area super-lightweight champion
"Dubois was a heavy favourite, so the result was surprising to most. I think it’s pretty clear that the damage done to Dubois’ left eye was looking very dangerous by that 10th round so he made the best decision to take a knee. Joyce done a job on him and his dedication to his game plan was perfect.
There’s been a lot of criticism since about Dubois being a ‘quitter’, mostly from people that have never got in the ring before and there’s a distinct lack of empathy and understanding. Even some professional boxers have come out and said the same thing, but I think it’s because us boxers seek attention; it’s why we do what we do. Perhaps the boxers calling him a ‘quitter’ are fighting to stay relevant; sometimes it just makes them feel better. All I know is that his left was completely closed and he couldn’t see out of it.
At the age of 23, you simply can’t write him off. He needs to come back slowly, give himself six months to recover, spend a lot of time in the gym, then have a couple of straightforward fights to build his confidence back up, then move on to winning more titles again. A loss doesn’t define you."
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