Joe Joyce vs. Joseph Parker | BT PPV - 24 September 2022

[Ruthless-RKO]

Presser Quotes

George Warren (CEO, Queensberry)
“I think we are all just happy to get this fight on. Credit to both guys, it is a fight Steve Bunce summed up pretty accurately in the Independent when he said it is not a fight that either guy really needed, but here we are and testament to both guys for stepping up and doing it. WBO No.1 and WBO No.2, the Interim title is on the line and, while some people might not like that word, it is an important one particular at the moment in the heavyweight division. We all know Usyk, with the unified titles, is angling for a possible undisputed fight early next year with Tyson Fury, but the belt on Saturday night is going to pay a lot into 2023 in the heavyweight division.

“We are here because Joe Joyce wanted this fight, that is the reason. We have worked very hard to get here and both sides will probably admit it was not the easiest deal to get done. We thought we had it done, then we didn’t and then we thankfully managed to resolve some issues. It is going to be a cracking night, it is a stacked card and I am really happy to be working with so many different promoters, including Boxxer, and I appreciate their support, particularly Ben and Sky for making this happen and allowing us to make it on BT Box Office. That type of good spirited nature is required in this sport at times and we see it across the whole card. We’ve got Lou DiBella working with us in regards to the Cacace-Magnesi fight, plus the great Amanda Serrano looking to unify again working with MVP, Jake Paul and Nikisa. Plus our friends at Top Rank for taking this on ESPN+, so this really is a culmination of a lot of different promotional companies coming together, making fights happen and delivering for fight fans.”

Joe Joyce
“You have been in the sport a long time – a seasoned vet. He is seeing a psychologist so maybe there is some weakness in his mental capabilities that he needs to work on, I would imagine. I don’t believe there will be an easy night against me and he will find out with real time punches to his head, body and all over. He sees me as a lump and this big lump will be coming at him on Saturday night.

“I’ve had a really great camp with my team and Salas over there has been sending me little clips of what I need to work on in the fight. We are well prepared and have done all the biomechanics and polishing up of all my skills. It was really great to have that last fight against Hammer to show that I can take three or four right hands coming forward. I am in the better place and will improve on all the things I need to in this fight. I feel I am in the best place and what a great opponent in Joseph Parker. I just want to get the gloves on and fight him after this little talking session.”

Joseph Parker
“I don’t really care what he thinks or what his opinion is on my power or how I fight. He’ll get a taste of it on Saturday night. I’ve done the work and I back everything that Andy says. We’ve been in the gym every day grinding away with Tyson joining our runs and training, cheering us on with positive vibes. Everything has been ticked off in this camp so there are no excuses and no doubts. I will go in there and win, and win well. Joe Joyce has one style, I don’t see any adjustments or any change. I t just depends on how I show up.

“I see a lump when I look at him, a big man, a man who is confident and ready. And is going to be stopped in his tracks. I truly believe that and I am very confident going into this fight. Hype train.”

Ben Shalom (Boxxer)
“Outside maybe the top four guys, this is the biggest fight in the division with what’s on the line. Mentioning Joe Joyce wanted this fight, when we signed Joe Parker, despite him signing with us he said ‘Ben, if there is a way, make this fight happen’. We managed to work with George and get the terms that Joseph wanted and George was great with that. This is the fight Joseph Parker wanted, make no mistake about that. And so to be able to get it on for him, he feels this is coming at the right time in his career, he has had a few fights with Andy Lee, and he feels like he is coming into the peak of his career. He is 30 years old, a former world champion and seven years younger than Joe Joyce. He feels fresh, he feels ready, he’s got the experience and we felt this is the perfect fight. Thankfully, with Queensberry and BT as well, the fight is on and the fans are happy. I think the card is very, very good as well and I can’t wait for Saturday night.”

Ismael Salas (Joyce trainer)
“I’ve been following Mr Joe Parker and his team during training camp for this fight and he has been doing great conditioning, working hard. One thing I would like to say to his team, you can run, but remember you can’t hide. We have been working with so many good sparring partners and the Hammer fight broke the ice after a layoff without a fight. We will see on Saturday night, man down, man down!”

Andy Lee (Parker trainer)
“Any fight can be made an easy fight depending on what style you use and what tactics you use. Joseph Parker has been well drilled throughout this camp and knows what he has to do to make this an easy fight. I’m not going to say how he should do it, but he knows and I know. I mean no disrespect to Joe Joyce, we all know his credentials in the sport and what he has done so far. He hasn’t fought anyone like Joseph Parker yet. It will be a hard fight and at this level it is a minimum requirement, to work hard. Joseph Parker has all the skill, the speed and the talent, plus the determination to win this fight easily – if he does it well.”

Adam Moralee (Joyce manager)
“We have tremendous respect for Joseph Parker, a former world champion who has got the heart of a warrior and he is elite. A world champion and Joe wants to get there. I think that Joe Joyce can get there and will get there on Saturday night. Joseph’s team have publicly been saying things that show very little respect for Joe Joyce. I heard someone on their side say he has got zero boxing ability. I look at this man who is about to go 15-0. Show me a man who has got his resume at 14-0. He has not fought anyone with a losing record, he has fought former world champions, beaten Daniel Dubois, who people said would flatten him in two or three rounds. He consistently defies expectations and consistently defies the disrespect that he gets constantly. I think on Saturday you are going to see the real level of Joe Joyce and what he does when he faces off against a fighter at the very top of the division. No doubt when Joe wins people will still criticise things, but this guy is going up and up and only going one way. For me, Usyk, Fury and Joyce are the top three in the division.”

David Higgins (Parker manager)
“We’re feeling good and it is a privilege to be back in Manchester for the fourth time. Joe has had three wins in Manchester so far and has been welcomed by Tyson Fury and the wonderful people around him who are almost like family. So it is not like fighting on enemy territory, it is like a home fight and we love it here. Stuff flies around on social media, but to say we don’t respect Joyce is silly. We’ve massive respect for him and there is a reason most top heavyweights have avoided Joe Joyce. He is a formidable opponent, but our Joseph Parker has never shied away from risk and has stepped as quick as possible into the biggest fights and occasions with an eye for a world title. Outside of the title holders, in Joyce and Parker you’ve got the two heavyweights at the very top. It is an international blockbuster event on worldwide TV.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Andy Lee: Joseph Parker's Not Going To Run From Joe Joyce

“I think Joseph has improved a lot, probably he’s improved everything he does,” Lee said. “The biggest thing for Joseph is concentration and keeping it for three minutes every round… staying distant, with his shape. We’ve worked on several combinations for when he’s in different positions, whether his back is to the ropes, he’s in the centre of the ring… how to start attacks, land the attacks and then move.”

“It's more about concentration,” Lee continued. “Being clear in his thinking and his thoughts, being disciplined, not getting too greedy, not panicking when he’s in a tight situation, being calm, composed, clear but also cold and spiteful at the same time.”

“Joyce is going to be coming,” the Irishman acknowledged. “They think Joseph Parker takes too many breaks and has too many rests and fades so it’s set up nicely for both fighters... There’s no way you can’t make it a fun fight, because Joe Joyce will come forward, won’t he? He’ll have to come forward and try and engage but Parker’s not going to run. I think if you run, you give him [Joyce] too much momentum he will just keep coming and he will run over you. He’s a juggernaut, so Parker has to earn his respect and he’s got to respect the distance and Joyce has to be made to respect the distance. Parker’s punching very hard, so I think it will be an exciting fight.”

“It could be different when you get in there with him,” Lee said. “I’m sure when you watch from the outside he’s very crude and predictable. He's a big man and he uses what he was born with. He has an extremely high workrate and that’s obviously something he works on but in terms of his strength and his size, he uses it to his advantage, but when you’re in there with him he probably does small things, I know he leans back, moves different ways to avoid punches, but I don’t know if he’s underrated. He’s an Olympic silver medallist boxer and you don’t get those without having some kind of grade, but he’s never fought somebody like Joseph in a professional fight. Joseph is much more experienced and a proven 12-round fighter so all of those things go in our favour.”

“He [Parker]’s probably not going to fight Fury,” agreed Lee. “But there are some big fights out there. Money isn’t an issue for him, he’s fighting because he wants it and he loves it and he wants to be a two-time world champion. When he became champion, I think he feels he let himself down and he never really reached the next level and I think he wants to do that. I think he can see how close he is to doing it, he’s in touching distance of being in the top four or five heavyweights in the world and he wants people to speak about him in those terms.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

So when Parker beats Joyce, are people gonna say Joyce wasn't all that? and that he never had a decent win beforehand?

[Black Sam Bellamy]

Not many tickets left looking at Ticketmaster. Looks like they've done well.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Not many tickets left looking at Ticketmaster. Looks like they've done well.

Yeh, all the top tier was gone ages ago.

A few smaller tickets left.

[maverick23]

Not many tickets left looking at Ticketmaster. Looks like they've done well.

Yeh, all the top tier was gone ages ago.

A few smaller tickets left.

I’m pretty sure the top tier hasn’t been fully opened.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Not many tickets left looking at Ticketmaster. Looks like they've done well.

Yeh, all the top tier was gone ages ago.

A few smaller tickets left.

I’m pretty sure the top tier hasn’t been fully opened.

You know i did think that.. but wasn't sure.

[mickey1975]

The top tier isn't open at all. Everyone got an email last week upgrading them.

[maverick23]

The top tier isn't open at all. Everyone got an email last week upgrading them.

So they’re looking at c.10k then.

I’ve seen a few competitions this week too so perhaps they’ve been going down the freebie route as well.

[mickey1975]

The top tier isn't open at all. Everyone got an email last week upgrading them.

So they’re looking at c.10k then.

I’ve seen a few competitions this week too so perhaps they’ve been going down the freebie route as well.

I entered, never heard anything. I assume it was because they shut the top tier. Heany has done 1600 himself.

[maverick23]

The top tier isn't open at all. Everyone got an email last week upgrading them.

So they’re looking at c.10k then.

I’ve seen a few competitions this week too so perhaps they’ve been going down the freebie route as well.

I entered, never heard anything. I assume it was because they shut the top tier. Heany has done 1600 himself.

A mate who I’m going to the Rugby (at Old Trafford) with entered one of them and got 2 freebies. I was tempted to go with him but couldn’t sort transport back.

[Ruthless-RKO]

So they’re looking at c.10k then.

I’ve seen a few competitions this week too so perhaps they’ve been going down the freebie route as well.

I entered, never heard anything. I assume it was because they shut the top tier. Heany has done 1600 himself.

A mate who I’m going to the Rugby (at Old Trafford) with entered one of them and got 2 freebies. I was tempted to go with him but couldn’t sort transport back.

Where abouts you from? Yorkshire?

[maverick23]

I entered, never heard anything. I assume it was because they shut the top tier. Heany has done 1600 himself.

A mate who I’m going to the Rugby (at Old Trafford) with entered one of them and got 2 freebies. I was tempted to go with him but couldn’t sort transport back.

Where abouts you from? Yorkshire?

No. Raised in St Helens and then moved to the Midlands when I was at 10.

[Ruthless-RKO]

A mate who I’m going to the Rugby (at Old Trafford) with entered one of them and got 2 freebies. I was tempted to go with him but couldn’t sort transport back.

Where abouts you from? Yorkshire?

No. Raised in St Helens and then moved to the Midlands when I was at 10.

Ah. Been there since.

Would there be no trains at that time?

[maverick23]

Where abouts you from? Yorkshire?

No. Raised in St Helens and then moved to the Midlands when I was at 10.

Ah. Been there since.

Would there be no trains at that time?

I’m driving with my brother. Meeting a mate there. He’s only got 2 freebies so I’d said I’d leave it and drive my brother back who’s not bothered too much by boxing.

[samwbr]

Joyce 271lbs
Parker 255lbs

Joyce looks in better shape than Parker.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Is that his heaviest?

[joshj909]

Is that his heaviest?

Both their heaviest I think. Could be interesting to see how their speed/stamina/power is effected for both of them.

[tony1234]

Joyce 271lbs
Parker 255lbs

Joyce looks in better shape than Parker.

Worrying that this could be a slow motion brawl going by their weights

[Manchester Hitman]

I don’t like Parker’s weight - looks far to bulky. Seems like Lee has built him for power, Kronk style.
He’s already got some stamina issues as we have seen over the years, so to put that much size on is really going to slow him down.

If he cannot put a dent in Joyce in the early rounds, he will be in serious, serious trouble from the 6th onwards.

Joyce late stoppage

[Ruthless-RKO]

Is that his heaviest?

Both their heaviest I think. Could be interesting to see how their speed/stamina/power is effected for both of them.

Parker's team said he wasn't going to run, he was gonna trade.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Weigh-In Results From Manchester

London’s Joyce tipped the scales at 271.6 pounds. He will outweigh his opponent by more than sixteen pounds.
New Zealand’s Parker checked in at a career-high 255.4 pounds.

Serrano weighed 124.7 pounds as she puts her WBC/WBO/IBO belts on the line.
Mahfoud was 124.9 pounds.

Below are the weights for the rest of the televised undercard.

Michael Magnesi (21-0, 13KOs), Cave, Italy, 129 pounds vs. Anthony Cacace (19-1, 7KOs), Beflast, 129.8 pounds—12 rounds, junior lightweight

Ekow Essuman (17-0, 7KOs), Nottingham, 146.4 pounds vs. Samuel Antwi (14-1, 6KOs), Stockwell, London, 145.9 pounds—12 rounds, welterweight

Raven Chapman (3-0, 2KOs), High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, 125.4 pounds vs. Jorgelina Guanini (10-4-2, 1KO), Buenos Aires, Argentina, 124.2 pounds—8 rounds, featherweight

Nathan Heaney (15-0, 6KOs), Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, 160 pounds vs. Jack Flatley (19-2-1, 4KOs), Bolton, Lancashire, 159.2 pounds—10 rounds, middleweight

Below are the weights for the non-televised undercard.

Mark Heffron (28-2-1, 22KOs), Oldham, Lancashire, 169.4 pounds vs. Martin Bulacio (10-6, 7KOs), Cordova, Argentina, 168 pounds—8 rounds, super middleweight

Callum Thompson (4-0, 1KO), Kirkby, Merseyside, 136 pounds vs. Delmar Thomas (5-2, 2KOs), Bestwood, Nottingham, 136 pounds—4 rounds, lightweight

James Heneghan (7-0, 0KOs), Liverpool, 162.9 pounds vs. Rod Douglas, Jr. (3-4, 0KOs), Bow, London, 158.6 pounds—6 rounds, middleweight

Amaar Akbar (3-0, 0KOs), Batley, Yorkshire, 143.4 pounds vs. Karlo Wallace (0-2, 0KOs), West Bromwich, West Midlands, 142.4 pounds—4 rounds, junior welterweight

Tommy Fletcher (1-0, 1KO), Attleborough, Norfolk, 204.4 pounds vs. Tony Visin 204.8 pounds—4 rounds, cruiserweight

[jamesmcdonnell]

Is that his heaviest?

Both their heaviest I think. Could be interesting to see how their speed/stamina/power is effected for both of them.

Parker's team said he wasn't going to run, he was gonna trade.

That spells disaster for Parker, - he's not as heavy handed as Joyce, and Joyce is fighting at his natural weight and has a better engine anyway.

I think this ends mid to late rounds with Parker getting busted up pretty bad.

[joshj909]

Is that his heaviest?

Both their heaviest I think. Could be interesting to see how their speed/stamina/power is effected for both of them.

Parker's team said he wasn't going to run, he was gonna trade.

Both have good chins but don't have the best head movement. Then neither seem to have that one punch knock out power that others do. So this could end up as a slug fest. Parker looked like his power had got better Vs Chisora though. Enjoying the intrigue of this fight as a non-mandated and non-title fight which is a real 50:50 at a high level.

[Phenomenal-Nutrition]

I don’t like Parker’s weight - looks far to bulky. Seems like Lee has built him for power, Kronk style.
He’s already got some stamina issues as we have seen over the years, so to put that much size on is really going to slow him down.

If he cannot put a dent in Joyce in the early rounds, he will be in serious, serious trouble from the 6th onwards.

Joyce late stoppage

Parker isn't in bad shape at all. Ultimately in boxing you need to be able to push your man back and you do that with bodyweight. Parker gained weight for Chisora 2 also and performed better. 4lbs isn't really much for men this size. Even 10lbs isn't.