Tyson Fury's sparring partner Alen Babic rates Joe Joyce above the WBC champion as the best heavyweight in the world.
The 'Gypsy King' has made a U-turn on his plans to retire and will make a voluntary defence of his WBC crown against Derek Chisora at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Fury is currently undefeated and has beaten some of the division's leading names including Dillian Whyte, Deontay Wilder and retired star Wladimir Klitschko.
Despite going into the clash as the overwhelming favourite, Fury has trained hard for the clash with 'WAR' and has shared sparring sessions with former opponent Whyte's protege Alen Babic who is also an undefeated heavyweight. 'The Savage' has praised Fury's mentality after the champion called out Joyce to a potential fight in 2023.
“I think Fury is going to win it," Babic told Boxing Betting when discussing Fury's upcoming clash with Chisora. "There’s no stopping Tyson Fury. Fury is calling out Joe Joyce - how crazy is that? In my humble opinion Joe Joyce is the dark horse in the heavyweight division and the best heavyweight on the planet right now.
"I’ve sparred with Joyce and rate him very highly. And this Gypsy King is calling Joe Joyce out - he’s the only one. Nobody calls out Joe Joyce. That mentality of Fury is unbeatable."
"Chisora is dangerous for any human alive. I’m a big fan of Chisora and a big fan of Fury. These are two guys that I love. Chisora has those wide-looping hands, wide-looping crosses.
"Chisora’s a very dangerous guy and if he catches him clean he’s going to put him down. But Fury will rise. He may put him down, I don’t count that out, but Fury will rise again. Fury will keep rising like he did with Deontay Wilder.”
Babic has also shared rounds with Joyce while helping 'The Juggernaut' prepare for his previous win over Carlos Takam last year.
Who would win if Tyson Fury fought Joe Joyce? Let us know in the comments section below
Fury is considered by many as the leading fighter in the division given his undefeated record, but will likely face the sternest examination of his career next year if he takes on Oleksandr Usyk. A win for Fury could see him face several challenges including from British rival Joyce who is currently the mandatory challenger with the WBO.
Joyce previously suggested he would open to the clash prior to calling out his rival on Twitter but praised Fury for his previous win over Whyte. "He better have because I want to fight him at one stage. If he wants it, I'm here," Joyce said about a potential clash. "Sometimes, I guess, Fury can get a bit complacent.
"I thought maybe Dillian might have a chance to land the overhand right or work the body shots, but [Tyson] stayed switched on and dealt with it. You could see his focus and determination; he wasn't taking his eye off the ball. He is so skilled."
