JOE JOYCE is so determined to trash-talk his ticket into an Anthony Joshua clash, he has hired a speaker coach.
Although the Putney fighter may be No. 1 in the WBO, Tyson Fury is still waiting for the winner of Oleksandr Uzyk's AJ rematch. He will have to wait a while before he gets his shot at the title shot.
Joe Joyce's trash talk is far behind his skills in ring
Christian Hammer will be nailed to the Wembley Arena canvas on Saturday. The next target for Christian Hammer is an all-English match with his sparring partner and ex-pal.
Joyce, 36, said to SunSport that he has known Joshua for many years and knows he is a good man and comes from a good background.
"For a while, he seemed unbeatable. Then it all came down with Andy Ruiz's loss -- which must have been difficult to recover from.
"He won the rematch on his back foot and looked terrified to be hit. He still has much to prove.
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"He has never reached me. "I used to have his number, and we would catch up sometimes.
"But after Ruiz's loss, I tried sending him a nice message. I think he may have changed his number or thrown it in the ocean.
"I want to see Fury fight, but I would also like to have a chance to fight him. So, hopefully, he doesn’t retire before then."
They played hundreds of rounds at their former Team GB base together before Joshua, 32 won gold at London 2012, and Joyce took home silver at Rio 2016.
SUN BINGO GET PS50 BONUS & 50 FREE SPINS TODAYIn a 2013 amateur bout, Joyce was also defeated by Usyk, the WBA and IBF heavyweight world champions.
Few people can predict the outcome of their Saudi Arabian match better than they.
Joyce gives his compatriot very slim chances of regaining his titles. This makes their clash more likely, as Usyk or Fury decide who is the undisputed king.
Joshua left Rob McCracken, his mentor, for American Robert Garcia. Joyce stated that AJ had gone a bit more odd recently.
"He's an odd man -- he used be different.
"He used to sparring occasionally, and would come toe to toe, tache to tache, and swing bombs.
"It used be very exciting, and I used really enjoy sparring with him that way.
"But, all at once, he began working on his technique, using his footwork and being out of range, and stuff.
He changed his style slightly and didn't go too gung-ho.
It can be difficult to change your trainer, but it all depends on you as an individual.
Joshua could absorb all of the new tactics and information.
It can be difficult to incorporate sparring and fighting into your routine.
"I hope he wins the rematch for British boxing fans and British boxing.
"Joshua has the chance. He demonstrated how he could turn it around by entering with a different strategy for the Ruiz match.
"He was competitive in his first Usyk fight, and he has great power.
"So, if he's able to take it to Usyk as he did in the first fight, he has a chance at a puncher."
Why is Joyce suddenly appearing from the lip at 6ft 6in tall granite-chinned Joyce?
He said, "I have a speaking coach. He offers advice and pointers on how to proceed.
"It's just confidence so I can practice.
"I prefer to keep my private life very private. I don't feel the urge to share too much.
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"I feel more confident and comfortable, and I now have to do more if I want to fight these big fights."
Tickets for Joyce vs Hammer can be purchased at AXS.com or Ticketmaster.co.uk starting at PS55
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