Joe Joyce admits he’s doubtful that Oleksandr Usyk wants to face him and expects the unified heavyweight world champion to eventually vacate his title instead of meeting him.
Joyce became mandatory challenger to Usyk’s WBO crown, after stopping Joseph Parker with an emphatic 11th round knockout last month.
Usyk has returned to his native Ukraine after beating Anthony Joshua for a second time in August to retain his WBO, WBA ‘super’ and IBF belts.
The Ukrainian admitted he was not ready to face WBC titlist, Tyson Fury in an undisputed title clash before the end of the year and instead is likely to face ’The Gypsy King’ in early 2023, providing Fury comes through a third showdown against Derek Chisora, which is expected to be formally announced this week for December 3.
The 35-year-old will have to face his former amateur rival after facing Fury or fight him next if that bout doesn’t materialise, otherwise vacate his WBO title.
The ‘Juggernaut’ has questioned whether Usyk, would have the desire to face him with the 35-year-old also teasing a potential return to cruiserweight in the future, having previously reigned there as undisputed champion.
“Ideally, I would like to fight Usyk,” Joyce told Metro.co.uk.
“But it seems he is now looking elsewhere, considering moving back to cruiserweight or wanting to fight Fury but it doesn’t look like that is on the table at the moment.
“Usyk could vacate and then I would be elevated.
“I think he’s probably going to vacate. He doesn’t want that smoke.
“He has also been at it a long time. Hundreds of amateur bouts over the years and he will have earned very decent money for his last two bouts [against Anthony Joshua].
“I don’t know, does he really want to take on The Juggernaut?
“If the Fury fight doesn’t happen for him, I’m not sure he wants to stay here and take loads of licks and have a hard fight when he doesn’t have to.
“But I don’t know what happens in boxing anymore. Fury changes his mind all the time, Usyk has a lot of options.
“But we will get there eventually. All I can do is keep calling people out and be patient.”
Usyk has not ruled out a showdown with the Brit, telling Parimatch: “I can probably do it. But after Fury.”
Joyce is expected to stay busy as he awaits a maiden title shot, with the 37-year-old set to return in February, his promoter Frank Warren told talkSPORT last week.
