Joe Joyce was prompted to retire after suffering from the defeat Filip Hrgovic on Saturday.
From the big knockout victory over Joseph Parker in 2022, Joyce won only once in the last five fighting and this victory was a strenuous performance against Kaš Ali.
Joyce suffered from a successive loss of stopping Zhili Zhang. Last year, Derek Chisora dropped him and continued to defeat the Londoner on points.
The British, who is now 39 years old, went 10 laps with Hrgovic, but lost a unanimous decision.
Then Croatian urged Joyce to leave the box.
Zhilei Zhang landed a huge right hand on Joe Joyce in his second victory over the British
Hrgovic said about Joyce, “I think he can fight hard for someone. Because he’s just hard, still coming, throwing a lot of blows, it’s big. He gives someone a hard fight, anyone in the division.
“But I think it would be best for his health to retire.”
Hrgovic added: “He had a lot of hard fighting. He got a lot of blows. He has the open style, not such a big defense, and as I said he could fight hard.
Joyce has a heavy professional career
Londoner was the best amateur who defeated Hrgovic years ago in the world series of boxing matches. Joyce won the Olympic silver medal and was unfortunate at Rio 2016 that he did not win gold.
Joyce impressed as a professional, crossing victory over Daniel Dubois and other top weights and Parker.
Hrgovic noted: “He’s a warrior. I respect him. He has amazing successes like an amateur and as a professional.”
He added, however, “Now maybe too old at the moment. I think he should retire, that’s my opinion. Without any disrespect, but I think it would be the best for him.”
Promotor Frank Warren told Queensberry’s YouTube Channel that now Joyce “has to think seriously about his future”.
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My mother Joe Joyce, Marvel Opera talks about her emotions watching her son’s struggle, and calls for a further description of the sound in boxing to watch better.
“No rush, but that’s what he has to do now,” Warren said. “It’s the game as they come.
“He will want another fight, I know so. But he has to sit down with his family and have seriously to think about the future. There will be no easy way for him.
“But whatever he does, we will support him. When you age in the box, certainly when you fight the way Joe does it, you have to really think about the consequences of the road.
“He’s a nice man, one of the best people I’ve ever worked with, and now I just want the best for him.”
