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Joe Joyce angered to see Daniel Dubois get heavyweight world title shot

Joe Joyce angered to see Daniel Dubois get heavyweight world title shot

Joe Joyce was frustrated that Daniel Dubois got a world title shot against Oleksandr Usyk.

The British boxer knocked out Dubois in their 2020 fight but was usurped in the queue for a title shot after he suffered a defeat to Zhilei Zhang earlier this year - much to his chagrin.

Joyce told BoxingScene.com: "It was frustrating that it was the guy I beat convincingly that got the shot before me.

"And it bothers me that I was once the WBA gold [champion] and paid the sanctioning fees, and then I was completely out of that [mix]. That’s a route I could’ve taken, but I did the WBO route and I’m in that position again. But to have to lose to Zhang, when I was so close and I could’ve just waited and took a different shot, it was quite a hard time and lesson to learn."

Joyce will now take on China's Zhang in a rematch on Saturday (23.09.23) and realised that he had to try and get instant revenge if he is to maintain hope of becoming a world champion.

He said: "I don’t really have time to piece my way back another way, so I have to. Because I could’ve had a fight in the meantime. Someone could’ve fought Zhang instead or Zhang could’ve had that opportunity at the WBO [title]. But this is why I enacted the immediate rematch [clause], so I can get back in position."

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