Joe Joyce and Joseph Parker clash in a massive heavyweight fight in Manchester this evening.
The vacant interim WBO title will be on the line in a high-stakes battle in boxing’s blue-riband division, the winner of which will be a mandatory challenger to unified champion Oleksandr Usyk, whose hopes of becoming undisputed at a second weight class have suffered a blow with fellow title-holder Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua likely to finally meet in a blockbuster all-British showdown in December.
Time is of the essence for the undefeated Joyce (14-0), who turned 37 this week and needs to kick on once again if he is to realise his long-held world championship ambition.
‘The Juggernaut’ secured a career-best win against Daniel Dubois in November 2020, but that has been followed by far more low-key stoppages of durable veteran Carlos Takam and former European champion Christian Hammer, the latter coming after he had recovered from months out with a serious wrist injury in July.
Parker is a clear step up for Joyce and will himself harbour ambitions of returning to the world title picture. The New Zealander previously reigned as the WBO champion between 2016-18 after edging past Andy Ruiz Jr, defending it successfully against Răzvan Cojanu and Hughie Fury before losing out to Joshua on points in Cardiff.
Parker followed that up with another loss to Dillian Whyte but has rattled off six wins since then, becoming WBO Oriental and Inter-Continental champion, defeating Derek Chisora twice in the span of seven months in Manchester last year.
How To Watch
Main Card: Joe Joyce vs Joseph Parker
Date & Time: September 24 @ 2:00 PM (ET) / 7:00 PM (BST)
Venue: AO Arena, Manchester, England
TV Channel: ESPN+, BT Sport Box Office
Online Streaming: BT Sport Box Office App & Traditional PPV (Try for free)
Watch in Australia, Canada & New Zealand: DAZN (Try for free)
Parker, who was once a world champion, has gone through a period of transition in his last two fights, both against Derek Chisora, after swapping longtime trainer Kevin Barry for Andy Lee who is looking to bring a more hard-hitting style to the New Zealander's arsenal.
This will be crucial in tonight's fight with Joyce who is not afraid to go toe-to-toe in the centre of the ring and trade with his opponents.
Here's everything you need to know about Joyce vs Parker.
Joe Joyce Bio and Record
Nationality: British
Date of Birth: September 19, 1985
Height: 6' 6"
Reach: 80"
Total Fights: 14
Record: 14-0 (13 KOs)
Joseph Parker Bio and Record
Nationality: New Zealand
Date of Birth: January 9, 1992
Height: 6' 4"
Reach: 76"
Total Fights: 32
Record: 30-2 (21 KOs)
Joyce vs Parker fight card
- Joe Joyce vs Joseph Parker; Heavyweight
- Michael Magnesi vs Anthony Cacace; Super featherweight
- Ekow Essuman vs. Samuel Antwi; Welterweight
- Amanda Serrano vs Sarah Mahfoud for the IBF, WBC and WBO women's world featherweight titles
- Nathan Heaney vs Jack Flatley; Middleweight
- Raven Chapman vs Jorgelina Guanini; Featherweight
- Mark Heffron vs Martin Ezequiel Bulacio; Super middleweight
- James Heneghan vs Rod Douglas Jr.; Middleweight
- Callum Thompson vs Delmar Thomas; Lightweight
- Amaar Akbar vs Karlo Wallace; Super lightweight
- Tommy Fletcher vs Toni Visic; Cruiserweight