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WBO interim-heavyweight champion Joe Joyce is hoping to secure a fight either Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk in the summer of 2023.
Joyce is the mandatory challenger to Usyk, who holds the WBO, IBF, WBA, IBO world titles. Fury is the WBC world champion.
If all goes as planned, Fury and Usyk will collide in a high-stakes undisputed fight in the coming year.
Joyce is planning to stay busy with a ring return in the month of March, and then wants Fury or Usyk in the summer.
Fury has mentioned Joyce as a backup opponent – if a deal with Usyk falls through.
“I’m planning to have a fight in March, while all the others are taking a fight,” Joyce told Sky Sports.
“For the summer one [I plan to] go for a big one, like Usyk or Fury. I’ll be ready because I’ll have had one at the beginning of the year to get me going.
“I don’t understand why people [just sit around and wait for a big fight to come up]. It makes them rusty for when they do get the shot and also their skills as well, you always want to keep on improving your skills and learning and growing as a fighter and correcting any mistakes, and getting in these exciting fights for the fans It is entertainment, not just let me hold on to my ‘0’ [undefeated record]”
Joyce was ringside earlier this month at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, to watch Fury dominate and stop veteran fighter Derek Chisora in a trilogy fight.
After the fight, Joyce was front and center as Fury verbally blasted Usyk in a heated face to face encounter.
“That was funny and fun at the same time,” Joyce laughed. “Fury started revving up and then I revved up with him. It was good fun and Usyk was just there staring at Fury.”