Joe Joyce want Dubois rematch after returning July 11 vs Artem Suslenkov. The 2020 fight gave Joyce his signature win. Can juggernaut get back to world level at 40?
Joe Joyce is back. After more than a year out of the ring, the Juggernaut returns July 11 against unbeaten Artem Suslenkov on the Murat Gassiev vs Tony Yoka undercard in Moscow. And one name is already on his mind fir what comes next Daniel Dubois.
Joyce insists a rematch with Dubois is an attractive option. It's easy to see why. Their first fight in November 2020 was the defining moment of Joyce's career.
THE 2020 FIGHT THAT CHANGED BOTH CAREERS
Back then Joyce handed the Dubois is first professional defeat in brutal fashion. A thudding jab and relentless pressure forced Dubois to take a knee in round 10 after suffering serious eye damage. The fight was counted out, and Joyce looked unstoppable.
For Dubois, it was rock bottom. For Joyce, it launched him toward world titles. He went on to beat Joseph Parker and claim the WBO interim heavyweight championship. Dubois rebuilt, won world titles, and now holds the WBO heavyweight belt after stopping Anthony Joshua and Fabio Wardley.
The paths diverged, but the unfinished business remains.
SETBACKS AND A YEAR AWAY
Since that high point, Joyce's career hit turbulence. Back to back losses to Zhilei Zhang derailed his momentum. The southpaw's lelf hand caused Joyce eye trouble and ended his unbeaten run. Since then, defeats to Filip Hrgovic and Derek Chisora have left him 0-3 in his last three fights.
At 40 years old, many wrote him off. But Joyce sees it differently. The year of inactivity, he says, was spent learning and improving. It's just boxing. I have been training, I've been learning this year, I've been putting in the work so I am ready to show you what I've learned, he told Sky Sports.
ONE FIGHT AT A TIME - SUSLENKOV FIRST
Joyce isn't looked past Moscow. Suslenkov is unbeaten and dangerous. A loss there would kill any talk of Dubois II.
Joyce said. "I've got to deal with what's in front of me first before looking too far ahead. The motivation is getting the win and getting back in there and putting in a dominant performance. I've made some changes and I’m training hard and getting ready for that fight."
A dominant win would put him back in the WBO mix. Before the Zhang losses, Joyce was WBO interim champion off the back of beating Dubois and parker. That's the position he wants to reclaim.
WHY DUBOIS II MAKES SENSE IN 2026
Two times world champion vs former interim champion. Revenge narrative vs legacy fight. It sells itself.
Dubois now sits at the top of the heavyweight division with the WBO belt. Joyce wants to rectify the mistake of taking the Zhang figure and prove he still belongs at the top world level.
Joyce admitted. It's always an attractive option, before I took Zhang, which was obviously a bad decision, I was WBO interim off the back of beating Dubois and parker. So it's just like a bit of mistake that I'm going to rectify now.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE HEAVYWEIGHTS DIVISION
If Joyce beats Suslenkov, the Dubois rematch becomes a real conversation. Heavyweight boxing is thin at the top, and promoters love a storyline. Joyce vs Dubois II has history, stakes, and a built in audience.
But first, The Juggernaut must roll back the years on July 11. At 40, with 3 straight losses, the clock is ticking. A win restarts the clock. A loss ends the dream.
For now, Joyce is focused on performance over predictions. The Dubois rematch can wait. July 11 cannot.
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