Commonwealth and European champion Joe Joyce will be gunning for gold in Rio in the men’s super-heavyweight boxing division tomorrow.
Standing at 6ft 6in and weighing in at 110kg, the 30-year-old from Earlsfield has been described as the ‘new Anthony Joshua’.
In the run-up to the games, Joyce stated that he wants to follow in the footsteps of his one-time sparring partner.
“Anthony Joshua and I started boxing at about the same time, and for the same amount of time, although he’s ahead of me, leading the way,” said Joyce.
“I want to be an Olympian first, then invade the pro-ranks!”
This year, Joyce has enjoyed success with the British Lionhearts in the World Series of Boxing and won gold in the European Olympic qualifiers.
He won his qualification bout against the Azerbaijani Magomedrasul Majidov, who was the last man to defeat Anthony Joshua in 2011.
Joyce also won a bronze medal in the World Amateur Championships in 2015, to go with European and Commonwealth golds.
Initially a triple-jumper before injury forced him out of athletics, Joyce took up boxing aged 22 while studying fine art at Middlesex University.
“I enjoyed martial arts as a kid, and I used to spar at kickboxing,” he said, but affirmed his preference for his chosen fighting style.
“Boxing is the bread and butter of fighting.”
His eclectic interests are reflected in his choice of role models, he said: “My idols growing up were Bruce Lee, Muhammad Ali and Michael Jackson.”.
Joyce’s mother, Marvel, believes her son is destined for success after a mystic told her he would be a world-class boxer in 2006.
Expectations are high for the experienced fighter, in both the Olympic camp and on social media.
Learn the name @JoeJoyce_1 He’s about to be one of the most famous people in the country! Going for #Gold at Super Heavyweight #Olympics2016
— Stu T (@ZombieSquasher) August 5, 2016
Having received a bye in the round of 32, Joyce will fight Cape Verde’s three-time national champion Davilson Dos Santos Morais at 11pm tomorrow for a place in the quarter-finals.
