"He can vacate his belts and I'll capture them" - Joe Joyce advises Tyson Fury to vacate his WBC Heavyweight Championship
Joe Joyce is eyeing the heavyweight world titles, currently held by Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, after adding another knockout to his resume on Saturday night. The Brit defeated Christian Hammer in the fourth-round after spending a year out of the ring from a wrist injury.
The 'Juggernaut' has now shaken off the ring rust and is patiently waiting to see if Fury will come out of retirement or vacate his WBC Title.
While amongst the division's elite, the 36-year-old also has his eyes set on the likes of Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte. Joshua, of course, is set to face Usyk in their rematch on August 20.
After his return to the ring, Joyce did an interview with SecondsOut, where he was asked if Tyson Fury would ever be an option for him, to which he replied:
"Yeah, I'd love that fight if he is going to come out of retirement. Obviously he's going to wait and watch the AJ-Usyk fight but I'm not putting words into his mouth, he can do what he wants. If he's truly retired, then he can vacate his belts and I'll capture them, thank you!"
Joyce was then asked if he'd be given the upperhand in a fight against Fury due to having already shared the ring with him, to which he responded:
"Woah, all of them three top names [Joshua, Fury, Usyk] are a difficult night's work. Especially Fury, as I've been in the ring with him, it'll be a tough, tough old fight but I'm excited for it."
Tyson Fury has insisted that he will not return to the squared circle to professionally compete in the sport but it yet to vacate his title.
Many suspect that 'The Gypsy King' is awaiting the result of Joshua and Usyk with a potential chance of an undisputed matchup against the winner.
Watch Joyce's full interview here:
Will Tyson Fury come out of retirement or vacate his WBC Title?
Tyson Fury has proven in the past that he doesn't always stick to his word. He often surprises people with his spontaneous decisions. However, the champion seems adamant that he will stay in retirement unless he does a crossover event against UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou.
Additionally, he has stated that he would be interested in an exhibition match against the likes of Hafthor Bjornsson, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Mike Tyson.
In terms of 'The Gypsy King' returning to the squared circle professionally, it's near impossible to predict. However, he has previously made a long-awaited return after initially retiring.
To further this, he has still not vacated his WBC World Title, which suggests he isn't as certain on the decision as he's claimed. The heavyweight boxing scene is building up to be hugely exciting with stacked talent looking to face each other and Fury may not want to miss out.
Watch Tyson Fury and Hafthor Bjornsson calling each other out here:
@Tyson_Fury]Tyson Fury and Hafthor Bjornsson exchanging messages about a potential exhibition fight today…
[🎥 @Tyson_Fury] https://t.co/Cv6plW0Xh7