JOE JOYCE turned 37 on Monday and aims to be world heavyweight champion before he blows out the candles on his next birthday cake.
Joyce is the WBO's No.1 contender for Oleksandr Usyk's title and will become their interim champion if he beats Joseph Parker tonight at Manchester's AO Arena.
He wants Usyk, who beat him as an amateur and will become the WBO's full champion if the two-time conqueror of Anthony Joshua does not fight him when his mandatory is called.
The unbeaten 2016 Olympic silver medallist, ranked No.2 by the WBC and No.5 by the IBF, claims it is a matter of when not if he fulfills his world-title dream.
Joyce said: "Yeah, definitely, I'd like to be world champion by my next birthday. It could even happen after this fight when hopefully I will be the WBO interim champion. Then we'll see what happens with Usyk.
This story is from the September 24, 2022 edition of Daily Record.
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This story is from the September 24, 2022 edition of Daily Record.
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