Joe Joyce (16-4, 15 KO) is set to reignite his rivalry with Olympic foe Tony Yoka (14-3, 11 KO) when the two clash on July 19th, featured on the undercard of the undisputed heavyweight title bout between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois.
According to French outlet L’Équipe, the pair are set to square off at London’s Wembley Stadium, a clash that feels like a career-defining shootout for both men, who have struggled to live up to the high expectations following their 2016 Olympic final.
‘The Juggernaut’ is coming off his fourth career defeat, a unanimous decision loss to Croatian contender Filip Hrgović in April, which has led many to question whether Joyce should continue his boxing career at all.
Frenchman Yoka has also faced setbacks in his professional career, suffering three consecutive defeats in 10-round bouts against Martin Bakole, Carlos Takam, and Ryad Merhy.
Yoka has enjoyed a modest career resurgence over the past 18 months, notching three consecutive wins, the most recent a unanimous decision over previously undefeated Arslan Yallyev earlier this month.
Joe Joyce And Tony Yoka Share Historic Amateur Rivalry
Joe Joyce and Tony Yoka enter the bout with a storied amateur rivalry, most notably marked by Yoka’s controversial decision win over Joyce in the 2016 Olympic super-heavyweight final.
Yoka claimed Olympic gold with a split decision victory over Joyce, a result that sparked controversy, as many believed the British boxer had won every round, having out-landed Yoka 99 punches to 47 over three three-minute rounds.
“I won every round. I outpointed him every round, and hit him with loads more shots if you look at the stats,” said Joyce reflecting on the final.
Yoka is eager to set the record straight and prove to the boxing world that he is the superior fighter, welcoming the rematch in the professional ranks after previously taking aim at Joyce in a pointed social media post.
