Joe Joyce became the first boxer to defeat Daniel Dubois in November 2020. The London-born fighter, known as "The Juggernaut," won by tenth-round knockout and picked up the British, European, and Commonwealth titles.
Joyce, now 39, has had mixed fortunes since that career-defining night. He scored a big win over Joseph Parker in September 2022, stopping the New Zealander in the eleventh round to become WBO 'interim' heavyweight champion. However, 2023 brought back-to-back losses to Zhilei Zhang, with Joyce falling to sixth and third-round stoppages respectively.
Dubois, on the other hand, has bounced back strongly from his first professional defeat. He's now the IBF heavyweight champion and recently defended his title against Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium, winning by fifth-round knockout.
Joyce has been impressed by Dubois' power. In an interview with SportsMail, he said:
"Dubois has phenomenal power. I had to be static for him to hit me. If I'm moving around it's harder to get the full power going to land a shot, but Parker hit me with some good shots throughout the fight."
Dubois will put his IBF heavyweight title on the line for the second time on February 22 when he faces Joseph Parker. Joyce is planning his own return to the ring in 2025, looking to get back into the title picture after his recent setbacks.
The heavyweight division continues to evolve, with both Joyce and Dubois playing significant roles in shaping its future. Their paths might cross again, but for now, they're on different trajectories in this competitive weight class.
