Joe Joyce is adamant he’ll still be standing on Saturday night after being bombed in a war — just like the famous venue in which he will meet Daniel Dubois.
The pair meet in the iconic Church House in Westminster, from where Prime Minister Winston Churchill delivered several speeches during World War II, including the one in which he confirmed the Bismarck had been sunk.
Churchill fell for the building after it emerged with just a few scratches after taking a direct hit during The Blitz earlier in the conflict.
And Joyce believes he will live to tell a similar story after his clash with his heavy-hitting heavyweight rival this week.
The 35-year-old, who is 12 years his opponent’s senior, said: “That’s the plan.
“We were both amateur boxers so we can box as well.
“We’ll see on fight night, but it takes a lot of attributes, not just a big puncher and good chin, to make a boxer.
“So there are plenty of other things in our arsenals and I have more experience and variety in mine to take Dubois out.
“Dubois is a very good boxer, very strong, good skills and a good jab.
“But I don’t feel like he has had as many challenging fights as me.
“He is still young but he hasn’t been tested up to this point.
“It has been a long time now from when the fight was first scheduled in April, so it’s good to finally get the gloves on and get it on.”
Both fighters possess big punching power, with just one of Dubois' previous 15 fights going the distance, while Joyce boasts a near perfect knock-out record.
Dubois’s trainer, Martin Bowers, said: “They’re both unbeaten professional heavyweights and, in heavyweight boxing, anything can happen.
“We have to concentrate, we have to be on point and Dan has to put in the best performance of his life.
“That’s what we’re planning to do and I’m sure Joe’s planning the same.”
