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Joe Joyce slams Anthony Joshua as he chases huge domestic fight

Joe Joyce is the mandatory challenger for the WBO heavyweight title

Joe Joyce is turning up the heat on domestic rival Anthony Joshua as the latter looks for an interim fight.

Joe Joyce has pointed the finger at heavyweight rival Anthony Joshua and claimed 'you were given everything' and labelled his fellow Brit a 'glass cannon'.

The two know each other well from their amateur days with Great Britain. Joshua won a gold medal at the 2012 Olympic games, while Joyce picked up a silver medal at the Rio games four years later.

They both turned pro a year after their respective Olympic appearances with Joshua much the younger at 23. Joyce had a longer amateur career and was 31 before he turned professional.

But while Joshua was quickly directed to the top under Matchroom and Eddie Hearn, Joyce was preparing for the Olympics.

In April 2016 Joshua stopped Charles Martin in two rounds at London's O2 Arena to claim the IBF heavyweight title in only his 16th professional fight.
It's a fact that clearly wrangles with Joyce, who is unbeaten in 13 professional bouts and now clearly looking for a go at his more illustrious rival.

'@Anthony Joshua you having a meltdown, where's all your belts? All those sponsorships and endorsements helping? You're a glass cannon, quit the act, you were given everything. #easymode', tweeted Joyce to the former heavyweight champion.

Joyce was aiming for a shot at Joshua ahead of the latter's clash with Oleksandr Usyk last year.

Usyk though dethroned AJ of the WBA, IBF and WBO unified titles with a 12-round masterclass last September. And Joshua has since exercised his re-match option with the slick Ukrainian.
That clash is now in doubt though after Usyk returned to Ukraine to take arms after Russia's invasion last month.

Interim opponent

That has left Joshua looking for an interim opponent and Joyce has seen an opening.

Southpaw Otto Wallin is also pushing his claims to step in against Joshua, while Hearn says AJ is looking at a fight with American Deontay Wilder.

"'I've shared this ring with most people you see in the heavyweight division today,' Joshua posted last week. "I boxed Otto wallin twice as youngsters and I boxed Joe and stopped him in one round. I'd do the same thing today! Ain't nothing changed.'
That prompted Joyce's response, which was met with: "'It took you five days to come up with this."
Joyce then replied: "Btw I told you 5 days ago let's get it on my yout! Check your Twitter. You ducked it."
There's certainly an edge to the pair's relationship and an all-British interim clash is certainly not out of the question.
The pair met in March 2011 in the English National Championship preliminaries with Joshua prevailing in round one with the referee stopping the contest.
They have sparred on numerous times since in the amateurs and Joyce gave little away when he spoke about those clashes last July.
"It was a mixture and sometimes we did technical stuff. Throwing and defending different shots. Depending on where we were in the camp and who was having a fight.
"We were getting ready for the Olympics. We had some great spars.
"Iron definitely strengthens iron," Joyce told proboxing-fans.

Joyce did name Joshua and Tyson Fury as two of the best fighters he has sparred along with fellow Olympian Frazer Clarke.

Joshua will 'beat up' Joyce

Meanwhile, Shane McGuigan, the trainer of Daniel Dubois and Lawrence Okolie, says Joshua has beaten Joyce twice in the amateurs. And he believes AJ will "beat up" the older man if the pair meet again in the near future.

That prediction was not met too kindly by Joyce who tweeted:" I used to have respect for that @McGuigans_Gym I take it all back. You have no respect for what I have achieved and will achieve. I'm so glad I didn't sign with your
@ClonesCyclone family. Tell your son to wind his neck in and concentrate on picking up DDD off his knees (sic)."

Joyce has not fought since last July when he stopped the veteran Carlos Takam in six rounds. Joyce caught the 41-year-old with a left hook seconds into the sixth and finished him with a barrage of punches.

Incidentally it took Joshua 10 rounds to dispose of Takam in 2017.
The referee stopped the fight in the 10th round after Joshua rocked his stand-in opponent, who was battling on despite a severe cut over his eye.

Read more: Marvelous Marvin Hagler vs Tommy Hearns - three rounds of boxing brutality

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