Joe Joyce aims to build momentum with a win over Kash Ali
Juggernaut Joe Joyce (15-2, 14KO) is still hungry for success, despite crushing back to back defeats to heavyweight nemesis Zhilei Zhang during a disastrous 2023.
Putney’s Joyce was knocked out twice by the Chinese powerhouse, firstly in April to inflict the first defeat of his six-year professional career, then again but in even quicker fashion in their September rematch.
Now, the 38-year-old is looking to get back to business with what would be his first victory in over 18 months against Kash Ali (21-2, 12KO) on this weekend’s ‘Magnificent Seven’ card in Birmingham, still focused on world title fights with the likes of Joshua and Fury.
Joyce told OLBG, “I want to see myself in there with everyone, I’d like to fight Fury, Usyk, Joshua, Wilder maybe not Zhang again because there’s no point. Maybe when he’s 45.
“As long as I still want to do it and my body can take it I’ll keep going. I was thinking till about 40, so another two years, I still feel good and I can still fight. I feel healthy and I think I can keep going, especially as these opportunities have opened up.
“It’s great to see the competition, no one’s worried about keeping their undefeated record. It’s about fighting the best and styles makes fights, some you’ll win some you’ll lose.
“Kash Ali is a good technical fighter and I think it’s not going to be easy. If I can get a good win, build a bit of momentum to another big fight, before it was Dubois, Parker, Zhang, Zhang. Hard fight after hard fight.”
The Londoner, who won Commonwealth gold, Olympic silver and World bronze as an amateur, opened up about the painful defeats to Zhang last year, “The first defeat to Zhang was worse than the second. The second was over quickly, I could have done another 10 rounds of sparring afterwards.
“I did everything in my power to get the win in the second one, I just came up short. But I felt in the first fight I could have done a lot more in camp – been more disciplined and had a better game plan. Everything could have been better.
“Maybe my eye could have been iced a bit sooner. In the amateurs I have come back and won and intend to do that again in the pros. I’ve lost to southpaws before, and I did what I could. If you give it everything and don’t win it’s easier to take than if you think you could have done more and lost.”