Joe Joyce has his sights set on a huge heavyweight clash with Tyson Fury as he looks to ace his latest audition for the big time this weekend.
'The Juggernaut' returns to action at the Copper Box Arena on Saturday night, hoping to stay punch perfect as a professional at 16-0 against towering Chinese southpaw Zhilei Zhang.
Joyce believes this will be his final step on the path to the glamour fights he feels he deserves in boxing's blue-riband division, having been widely touted as a formidable test for the biggest heavyweight names while the usual tedious machinations of the fight game prevent some of the most high-profile bouts in the sport from being realised.
The WBO interim title holder has been mentioned as a potential challenger for premier heavyweights ranging from Anthony Joshua to Deontay Wilder and even unified champion Oleksandr Usyk, though it's a source of enduring frustration that he finds himself firmly behind former foe Daniel Dubois in that respect.
But a summer showdown with WBC king Fury looks the most viable, lucrative and appealing option for the fearless and affable Londoner Joyce, with both men being promoted by Frank Warren meaning there should be none of the usual roadblocks that have plagued other negotiations between rival camps.
Fury has long since indicated a desire to give Queensberry stablemate Joyce his big chance if an undisputed contest with Usyk cannot be agreed and those talks recently collapsing once again has left the door wide open, despite John Fury deriding the bout as "meaningless" for his son.
Turning 38 in September, Joyce has little time to waste as he seeks to realise his world title dream after a gruelling late knockout of Joseph Parker last year.
"He's already said he wants to fight me, it's a great fight," Joyce recently told the Daily Mail of meeting Fury. "People are interested in seeing that fight."
But Joyce cannot afford to overlook Zhang, a fellow big-hitting Olympic silver medalist who despite nearing 40 still possesses the knockout power capable of testing Joyce's famously granite chin on fight night.
A vastly experienced campaigner nicknamed 'Big Bang', he suffered his first pro defeat by Filip Hrgovic in a somewhat bizarre but captivating 12-round final eliminator on the Joshua-Usyk 2 undercard in Saudi Arabia last summer, dropping a massively contentious split decision to miss out on becoming the IBF's number one contender for Usyk.
"To be the best you have to beat the best," a confident Zhang said this week. "This is part of the dream to become world champion. I never run from a challenge when an opportunity presents itself."
