Joe Joyce, just a few hefty blows away from an Olympic gold medal, is not easily roused to anger, but his opponent in Sunday’s final, Tony Yoka, has managed to rile the big Londoner to the point of combustion.
When told that the French super-heavyweight thinks he is “a robot” who is scared of him, Joyce drew himself up to his full 6ft 6in and said: “He what? Scared? Ha! Well, now I’ve got even more reason to beat him.”
They actually are on reasonable terms, having sparred several times and fought twice, with a win apiece, but Yoka is in a mean mood in this tournament. He might have received kind treatment by the judges in his semi-final win over rock-like Croatian Filip Hrgovic, but he has looked impressive over the fortnight, and is a worthy world No1.
Whether or not there is bias towards the French – unproven but strongly suspected – Joyce will have to stay focused on the job, because Yoka is a clever mover, adroit at staying out of trouble – not unlike Iva Dychko, the Kazak he beat in the semi-finals. And Yoka is as sharp with his tongue as he is with his fists.
“I’m pretty confident,” he said, shortly after beating Hrgovic. “I know Joe very well, and I was sure we would meet in the final. I lost the European Games to Joe but I wasn’t really prepared for that competition. Then I had some sparring with him, and I think Joe is more or less scared of me, psychologically, because of what happened in the world championship [where Yoka controversially won their semi-final].
“Now I am the world No1, so I am much more confident in my boxing and with the world championship win I think I can beat everybody.
“I have boxed Joe twice before (1-1). I don’t feel anything when he hits me. He’s just obsessed by hitting the other fighter. He’s like a robot. He boxes with his heart. He is a good person and very focused and determined, but he is boxing with his muscles and not with his head.”
Hitting people is what it’s all about, of course, and Joyce is an excellent practitioner of putting pain on his opponents. As his friend and some time sparring parther Anthony Joshua says, “When he hits, he hurts.”
