Joe Joyce has laughed off Tyson Fury's claims that he is retired from boxing as the heavyweight champion just "talking b******s".
The top heavyweight title contender is ranked highly with a number of governing bodies, but has lost out on a number of big fights through injuries and contractual issues. He has been touted as a possible opponent for Fury in September, although reports of a possible showdown have been shut down on both ends.
Fury continues to insist that at the age of just 33 he has retired from the sport, despite even his own wife claiming she doesn't believe him. And Joyce also reckons that fans will see his fellow Brit back in the ring, ideally hoping to wrangle his way into a fight with the heavyweight champion.
"Maybe he's retired for now," Joyce said in an exclusive chat with Mirror Fighting ahead of his fight with Christian Hammer on Saturday night at the OVO Arena Wembley, live on BT Sport. "I think he's probably talking b*****s and he will come back.
"He's had a long career, he's done everything, but there are too many exciting fights out there so we'll have to see what happens. He hasn't relinquished the the WBC belt yet so that kind of says it all."
There had been reports of a potential Wembley Stadium meeting between Joyce and Fury in September. The champion's American promoter Bob Arum pushed the idea after a record-breaking night at the national stadium for his last homecoming against Dillian Whyte in April.
But Joyce has yet to be approached about the possible offer, and is currently focused on his own bout at the arena next door this Saturday. He has also been eyeing up a bout with Joseph Parker, although the New Zealand fighter has signed with a rival broadcaster in Sky Sports.
"I'd love the opportunity," Joyce said of a fight with Fury, who he sparred back in 2018 ahead of his first bout with Deontay Wilder. "But I'm not sure how likely that is.
"It's an option, but it's unlikely that he's going to fight me before he fights, for example the winner of Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua. But I'd definitely fight him."
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Joyce is looking for a statement victory over Hammer in London after a frustrating couple of years that have been staggered due to issues outside of the ring. He made a massive name for himself when he stopped Daniel Dubois in something of an upset back in 2020, but has fought just once since against Carlos Takam.
And he is now keen to land another stoppage victory on his path to the top of the division against a game fighter such as the German. "I would imagine I'll stop him sooner or later," Joyce added.
"Especially since I've had a great training camp and all the work I've done. He's fought some of the best and he's a very durable guy who can take people into the later rounds, so he's got a good chin and he can bang a bit.
"I think this will be an exciting fight, and I'll definitely dust off the cobwebs from almost a year out of the ring. I'm really looking forward to getting back out there and putting on a good show."
