Saturday 10pm, live on Sky Sports Main Event - Briedis vs Dorticos in the World Boxing Super Series final
Friday 25 September 2020 12:40, UK
Joe Joyce, Tony Yoka and Filip Hrgovic dedicated their lives to the Olympics and duked it out for a gold medal – their paths could now collide again as professionals.
How dangerous can Yoka and Hrgovic be?
Joe Joyce told Sky Sports: When the three top guys are out of the picture, these will be the next in line.
Yoka, in his home city of Paris, meets Johan Duhaupas on Friday. Duhaupas, a former challenger to Deontay Wilder who has taken Jarrell Miller 12 rounds and knocked out Robert Helenius, is an ambitious eighth opponent for Yoka - but remember the Olympic champion made his pro debut against a 12-0 contender.
Joe Joyce: Yoka was hyped after winning the gold medal and had some fights in France to build his name.
Yoka's style is more to land counters. He throws less punches but he's a strong guy, and quite powerful. But he picks his shots, he's a lot more economical with when he throws his punches.
Hrgovic aims to go 11-0 against Alexandre Kartozia on Saturday in Denmark...
Joe Joyce: Hrgovic has similar attributes to myself except he doesn't throw as many shots. He's tough, he's game, he's 6ft 6ins, he has experience and power and technique.
Eddie Hearn [who promotes Hrgovic] bigs him up, and too right. He was a bronze medallist in Rio, a very seasoned fighter. He's been at this for a long time.
He will be one to watch out for.
Yoka won two out of three amateur bouts against Joyce, in the 2016 Olympic final and 2015 World Championship final.
Yoka also defeated Hrgovic in both of their amateur meetings.
Joyce beat Hrgovic in the World Series of Boxing, an amateur competition which is considered a halfway house towards the pros.
Joe Joyce: They fought in the World Championships and it could have gone either way. In the final it was me and Yoka which also could have gone either way!
In the Olympics they fought again and it was close again. In the final, me and Yoka was very controversial again.
We were in the transition from computer scoring to 10-8 rounds, and from headguards to no headguards.
In the WSB, if you get knocked down it only counts as one point. It's not automatically a 10-8 round.
[In professional boxing] the glove size is smaller, and the ref is less likely to jump in and stop it.
[Fighting each other] for 12 rounds separates the men from the boys. It's not a 100m sprint like the amateurs, it's more of a middle-distance race.
Who's better - Yoka or Hrgovic…
Joe Joyce: I'd like to see them fight again…
Do you expect to fight Yoka and Hrgovic again at world title level?
Joe Joyce: I'm in a position where, after beating Daniel Dubois, I can win a world title somewhere and somehow. Then they will be hot on my tail.
They can both handle 12 rounds. But against me? They would reach a point where they can't keep up with me.
Against Yoka would be the first time there has been an Olympic final rematch. If we're both at a career stage where it makes sense, let's make the fight happen.
Sky Sports schedule
WBSS final - Sept 26, live on Sky Sports
Yuniel Dorticos vs Mairis Briedis
The Golden Contract - Sept 30 live on Sky Sports
Ohara Davies vs Tyrone McKenna
Buatsi vs Calic - Oct 4, live on Sky Sports
Joshua Buatsi vs Marko Calic
Chantelle Cameron vs Adriana Dos Santos Araujo
Alen Babic vs Niall Kennedy
Aqib Fiaz vs Kane Baker
Linus Udofia vs John Harding Jr
John Hedges
Ritson vs Vazquez - Oct 17, live on Sky Sports
Lewis Ritson vs Miguel Vazquez
Savannah Marshall vs Hannah Rankin
Joe Laws
Kash Farooq
Qais Ashfaq
Thomas Patrick Ward
Usyk vs Chisora - Oct 31, live on Sky Sports Box Office
Oleksandr Usyk vs Derek Chisora
Povetkin vs Whyte 2 - Nov 21, Sky Sports Box Office
Alexander Povetkin vs Dillian Whyte
