When will Joe Joyce fight Oleksandr Usyk? Three fights block path to world title shot

Tom Gray

When will Joe Joyce fight Oleksandr Usyk? Three fights block path to world title shot image

As he awaits a world title opportunity, British heavyweight colossus Joe Joyce will square off against Zhilei Zhang at the Copper Box Arena in London on Saturday.

The 12-round bout, plus undercard action, will be broadcast by BT Sport in the U.K. and ESPN+ in the U.S.

As the WBO mandatory challenger, Joyce (15-0, 14 KOs) has been waiting patiently for a shot at IBF, WBA, WBO, and Ring Magazine champion Oleksandr Usyk for several months. However, the 37-year-old is still no further forward in terms of a date and his tolerance continues to decrease.

First, he had to sit through Usyk’s contractually-agreed rematch with Anthony Joshua in Jeddah last August. The Ukrainian southpaw claimed a 12-round majority decision, while Joyce stopped dangerous ex-champ Joseph Parker (KO 11) five weeks later to maintain his status as the No.1 contender.

MORE: All you need to know about Joyce vs. Zhang

Next came the perpetually frustrating negotiations for an undisputed title fight between Usyk and Tyson Fury, which would have superseded Joyce’s mandatory position. Months passed, insults were traded, purse splits were negotiated, and the fight fell through.

Surely Joyce would be next in line, right? Wrong!

The Sporting News now takes a look at the roadblocks which still lie ahead of the 'Juggernaut' as he continues his long march to a world title fight.

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois

This matchup could be days away from being officially announced.

As the WBA “regular” titleholder, Dubois is automatically installed as the mandatory challenger for Usyk’s “super” title. WBA titles be damned, Usyk is the real champion here and everyone knows it.

The irony is that Joyce battered a then-unbeaten Dubois to a 10th-round stoppage defeat in November 2020. It’s almost cruel that Dubois gets his shot at glory before his conqueror, but that’s boxing politics for you.

MORE: Joyce can be the antidote to Fury-Usyk frustrations

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Filip Hrgovic

The last time an IBF mandatory was fulfilled was in December 2020, when then-champion Anthony Joshua battered Bulgarian veteran Kubrat Pulev to a ninth-round stoppage defeat.

With that being the case, the New Jersey-based governing body is sure to order the winner of the Usyk-Dubois bout to face unbeaten Croatian Filip Hrgovic, who is the IBF's current No.1 contender.

Hrgovic is coming off a close – and for many controversial – decision over Zhang on the Usyk-Joshua undercard last August.

Oleksandr Usyk holds the Ukraine flag after his win over Anthony Joshua

Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk

Just because this fight fell apart before doesn’t mean that negotiations won’t recommence again this year. If that turns out to be the case, does Joyce get pushed back again?

While there’s been talk of a fight between WBC champ Fury and former unified titleholder Andy Ruiz, there’s nothing official on the calendar for 'The Gypsy King'.

Indeed, in early April, Bob Arum told Cornerman Boxing that "in November or December, those two guys could meet in Saudi Arabia." 

We’ll see what transpires there, but it would be cruel in the extreme if Joyce, should he defeat Zhang, doesn’t see a world title shot in 2023.


How to watch Joe Joyce vs. Zhilei Zhang

Country Date Channel + Live Stream (main card)
United States Sat. April 15 ESPN+
United Kingdom Sat. April 15 BT Sport
Australia Sun. April 16 Main Event on Kayo

When is Joe Joyce vs. Zhilei Zhang?

  • Date: Saturday, April 15 | Sunday, April 16
  • Start time: 2 p.m. ET | 6 p.m. GMT | 5 a.m. AEDT
  • Main event: 5:30 p.m. ET | 9:30 p.m. GMT | 8:30 a.m. AEDT (approx.)

Joyce vs. Zhang takes place on April 15. The main card starts at 2 p.m. ET | 6 p.m. GMT | 5 a.m. AEDT.

The main event fighters should make their way to the ring around 5:30 p.m. ET | 9:30 p.m. GMT | 8:30 a.m. AEDT, depending on how long the undercard fights last. 


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Tom Gray

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Tom Gray joined The Sporting News in 2022 after over a decade at Ring Magazine where he served as managing editor. Tom retains his position on The Ring ratings panel and is a full member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.