MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – Filip Hrgovic’s trainer Abel Sanchez believes that Joe Joyce is starting to feel the effects of taking so much punishment across his career.
Sanchez linked up with Hrgovic after the heavyweight’s defeat to Daniel Dubois for the IBF interim title in June. The pair had been training out in Big Bear, California, and received an offer to face Joyce on short notice.
Joyce was originally scheduled to face Dillian Whyte tonight at Manchester’s Co-op Live but an injury to Whyte’s finger forced him to pull out. Many were surprised that Hrgovic was the man selected to step in considering Hrgovic is seen as a much tougher challenge to overcome than Whyte, particularly in a must-win fight.
“When he mentioned who they were offering, I said, ‘Have you signed it already? Because you should,’” Sanchez told BoxingScene. “‘Don’t let them get away.’ I felt that it’s a perfect fight for both guys. More for my guy, but I think for both guys because it’s a fight… it’s a no-lose situation for them.
“The guy that loses might as well think about a different job. But for my guy, I think he’s younger, I think he’s quicker, I think he’s a better puncher. We had enough time in the gym so that I can see what his possibilities are and capabilities are. I know what Joe [Joyce] has. I was with Joe for a year, so I know what he’s going to bring. But I don’t think they know what my guy is going to bring.”
Sanchez trained Joyce back in 2019 for his contest against former WBC titleholder Bermane Stiverne. Joyce has never been a master of the defensive arts during his time as an amateur or professional though he’s been praised for his ability to soak up incredible amounts of punishment from his opponents. That now looks to have come at a cost.
The cracks started to show during the now 39-year-old Joyce’s first contest against the hard hitting Zhilei Zhang back in 2023. Zhang seemingly could not miss with his southpaw right hand and pierced Joyce’s face to the extent that the contest was stopped on the doctor’s advice.
Joyce then faced Zhang in a rematch five months later and fell victim again to Zhang’s heavy right hand. The usually durable Joyce found himself flat on his face in the third round and the contest was waved off.
Joyce then returned in what should have been a routine win against domestic-level fighter Kash Ali but put in a poor showing before eventually dispatching his opponent in Round 10. A loss on points to the war torn Derek Chisora followed.
Sanchez believes the Joyce that entered the ring against Chisora was a very different man to the one he trained in 2019.
“The difference when he was 33 years old to 39 years old, I think, is evident in his last fight,” he said. “He’s a little slower. He’s willing to take more shots than I was willing to allow him to take back when I had him. He’s a lot more experienced now. The advantages of getting experience and getting old is that you’re not nervous about 10 rounds. You’re not nervous about one round or two rounds.
“You know what you can do,” he continued. “The disadvantage is that the miles that he’s got on his motor, the punches that he’s taken, the abuse that he’s taken in some of the fights, sometimes those come back to haunt you. When you start taking abuse again, the body remembers. So he’s definitely more experienced, but he’s definitely a little shot-worn.”
After being dropped heavily against Zhang and then against Chisora, many believe that Joyce’s once seemingly granite chin had started to crack. Sanchez admitted that he found watching Joyce get thumped over and over by Zhang’s right hand uncomfortable viewing.
“Well, in the Zhang fight, I think he got punished,” Sanchez said. “I think in the Zhang fight, he got hit with some very good shots. Chisora, I think it was off balance. Joe has a habit of squaring up his feet and kind of getting up tall and he got caught with a shot that really didn’t, in my opinion, really didn’t hurt him. ‘Oh, he got knocked down.’
“But the Zhang fight was a difficult fight for me to watch because Joe is my friend. I mean, on Saturday night, he’s my enemy, but he is my friend. But the Chisora fight was, I think, a culmination of a lot of punches that he’s taken in the past.
“He’s not as durable as he was in the past,” he continued. “So, I don’t know. I don’t see that much difference from, say, five, six fights ago to now, as far as like he’s shot-worn. Yes, he is a little worn because he’s taking shots, but not like he’s finished. He’s still viable. I mean, I think he’s still a good fighter, very good fighter.”
