Joe Joyce aiming for world titles after four-round mauling of Christian Hammer
Joe Joyce is still the top contender for one of the heavyweight titles following a straightforward fourth-round win over German veteran Christian Hammer.
Joyce opened the contest at Wembley Arena aggressively, landing some strong rights and left hooks. Joyce looked to attack the body, too, but was open to some big shots including a crunching overhand right that drew gasps from the crowd.
Hammer looked to counter the right hand over the jab in round two, and managed that with some success, but Joyce was applying a lot of the pressure and Hammer was starting to breathe heavily. The third was a wild-swinging affair. Joyce was well on top but he was still careless with the shots he took in return.
However, at the end of the third, Hammer wilted under pressure and referee Victor Loughlin picked up a count.
Hammer was down again early in the fourth from shots to the body and again from blows to the head moments later. The writing was on the wall and another body shot saw Hammer go down and out after 80 seconds of the round.
Joyce is the WBO’s No. 1 contender and he’s now 14-0 (13). Hammer drops to 27-10 (17).
“He was tough, game and he hit me with some shots early on… I hit him with some big ones,” said Joyce, who said he felt he had to warm into the fight.
“I’m top level, ready for the world stage… I’m ready for all comers.”
He said he wants either the winner of Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua or Tyson Fury.
Promoter Frank Warrn said Joyce will be out next on September 24.
Veteran former world champion Zolani Tete stunned Cinderella man Jason Cunningham with a brutal fourth-round knockout victory at the Wembley Arena.
Cunningham had been an in-form fighter and was in the contest until he was dropped in round four by a long straight left and then viciously put down for a second and final time. His head ricocheted off the mat and referee Howard Foster instantly waved it off.
Tete, aged 34 and a former world bantamweight champion boxing up at super-bantam, is now 30-4 (23), and Cunningham, 31-7 (7), lost for the first time in seven outings. Time of the stoppage came 34 seconds into the round.
Mark Chamberlain improved to 11-0 (7) with a wide 10-round decision over Spaniard Marc Vidal.
All three judges had it 100-90 for Portsmouth southpaw Chamberlain. Vidal, 33, drops to 13-3-5
“I learnt a lot in those 10 rounds and I’m ready for bigger and better things,” said Chamberlain.
The post Joe Joyce aiming for world titles after four-round mauling of Christian Hammer appeared first on The Ring.