Joe Joyce’s rise in the heavyweight rankings was unusual.
Heavyweights are known for reaching their peak later than the lower weight classes – just look at the two current title holders Tyson Fury, 35, and Oleksandr Usyk, 36.
But don’t become a professional until you’re 32? Joyce would always fight to reach the top.
Yet Joyce had good reason for joining the professional ranks so late. Instead, he enjoyed a stellar amateur career.
After missing out on a place at the 2012 London Olympics to Anthony Joshua, Joyce opted to stay with the amateurs and focus on the next Games in Rio four years later.
Joe Joyce didn’t turn professional until he was 32, after enjoying a stellar amateur career
He made himself known to the British public when he took home gold at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014.
It was a major step towards his Olympic dream, and the giant heavyweight celebrated in style by performing the Brazilian street dance Capoeira in the ring afterwards.
Introduced to Capoeira by his mother, Joyce has made the dance, including backflips and a handstand, his trademark over the years, proving he’s no ordinary Joe.
In 2015 he won a bronze medal at the World Championships, and then it was time for Rio.
Determined to go all out, Joyce did just that, booking his place in the final against France’s Tony Yoka.
Joyce turned up the pressure from the opening bell and looked to gain the upper hand as the fight progressed, but it was Yoka who raised his hand as he claimed a split-decision victory.
Joyce was denied an Olympic gold medal after controversially losing the final in 2016
Joyce became known for his Capoeira dance after winning fights, but was unable to show it off after the Olympic final when Tony Yoka was controversially declared the winner
It seemed a controversial verdict at the time, and detective Richard McLaren would later spotlight eleven suspected attacks from the Rio Olympics after investigating possible corruption, including Joyce’s fight with Yoka.
Investigators struggled to prove beyond doubt that fighting had taken place, meaning the outcome remained the same, but all 36 referees and judges at the Games were subsequently withdrawn.
Joyce was discouraged about missing out on Olympic gold. It was time to leave the amateur scene behind and go professional.
Most fighters, when introduced to the professional game, are given a few simple touches to improve their record and build confidence. Not Joyce.
He made his debut a month after his 32nd birthday and was thrown alongside veteran Ian Lewison, stopping him in the eighth round of a scheduled 10-round contest.
Three fights later he fought for and won the Commonwealth title, knocking out Lenroy Thomas within two rounds. Joyce may have started late, but he was ready to make up for lost time.
He continued to test himself, knocking out former world champion Bermane Stiverne in just his eighth fight and then defeating ex-world title challengers Alexander Ustinov and Bryant Jennings in consecutive fights.
Then came his domestic confrontation with Daniel Dubois.
Joyce went into the fight as the underdog, with many believing his uncompromising style would not be good enough to get the job done against his younger opponent.
But Joyce proved his doubters wrong and clubbed his way past Dubois as his rival went down on one knee and failed to beat the counter in the 10th round after suffering a broken eye socket.
Joyce dismantled Daniel Dubois, stopping his domestic rival in the 10th round and breaking his eye socket
That victory moved him closer to a world title shot as he claimed the British and European titles
That victory crowned Joyce the new British and European champion, putting him firmly in the world title mix, and he only improved his credentials over the next two years, winning three more fights, including defeating another former world champion in Joseph Parker.
Heading into 2023, a shot at the world title seemed inevitable. Fury and Usyk would settle their differences, and Joyce just had to get past China’s Zhilei Zhang in the meantime.
Oh, if only it were that simple.
Fury and Usyk couldn’t agree on their uncontested clash, and Zhang proved much better than just a stepping stone.
The warning signs were there early when Joyce faced Zhang at the Copper Box Arena in April. Zhang landed his left-handed jab in the first round before staggering Joyce with a thunderous left hand in the second.
Joyce simply couldn’t avoid Zhang’s heavy shots, and with his right eye closed, the fight was waved away in the sixth round.
It was a crushing blow for Joyce as he suffered his first professional defeat, but he has been given the chance to take revenge.
His rematch with Zhang takes place at Wembley Arena on Saturday in what promises to be a career-defining night for Joyce.
Joyce suffered the first defeat of his professional career against Zhilei Zhang in April
Joyce was deemed unable to continue after suffering a horrific eye injury
Joyce will get the chance to get revenge this weekend in a must-win rematch with Zhang
A win would put him right back in the title picture, ready to jump in with Fury or Usyk if they continue to avoid each other.
But another loss would mean the end of Joyce’s dreams of becoming world champion.
He turned 38 earlier this week, and coming back from back-to-back defeats at that age would certainly be a step too far.
The stakes couldn’t be much higher. Joyce has returned from Olympic heartbreak to flourish as a professional. He must now overcome adversity once again to show that he deserves to dine at the top table in the heavyweight division.