STAR PREVIEW Sat: Joe Joyce v Christian Hammer

Undefeated heavyweight contender Joe Joyce takes on Christian Hammer this weekend as he continues his surge towards a heavyweight title shot. ‘The Juggernaut’ has made eye-catching progress since turning professional and with 12 knockouts in his 13 victories he is quickly becoming a threat to the champions at the top of the division. 

Joyce was born and raised in London and enjoyed a successful amateur career before joining the prestigious Team GB programme. He became a stalwart on the amateur scene before finally securing his place at the 2016 Olympic Games. He went on to eventually capture a silver medal but his defeat to Tony Yoka in the final was contentious and many believe he should have been crowned Olympic champion.

Just a year later, Joyce made his professional debut against Iain Lewison and since then, he has made serious progress up the heavyweight rankings. The undefeated Londoner now has a record of 13-0(12KO) but he is 36 years old which means he has been fast tracked through the levels. Despite not having time on his side, Joyce has progressed through the levels in impressive fashion and looks destined to reach the top.

There have been several impressive victories over the last five years but the demolition of highly touted Daniel Dubois is the one that really put Joe Joyce on the map. During those ten rounds, he displayed an impressive engine and an even better chin, two vital components needed if you want to be a heavyweight champion.

Now highly ranked with multiple governing bodies, it is a matter of time before ‘The Juggernaut’ gets his golden opportunity but he must come through vastly experienced Christian Hammer first.

Hammer hails from Germany and brings a 27-9 (17KO) record to the ring on Saturday night. The German has been a professional for fourteen years and operated at fringe world level for most of his career. His resume includes names like Tyson Fury, Tony Yoka and Luis Ortiz and despite the fact he has never beaten these top-level heavyweights, he has always been competitive and has acted as the unofficial gatekeeper to the upper echelons of the division.

 Christian Hammer is not the most talented boxer in the world, but there are no questions around the heart and toughness but he is coming to the end of his career now and looks vulnerable against Joyce this weekend. At 6’2, Hammer is giving away a lot of a physical advantages this weekend and he will find it tough to stop the front foot pressure that will be applied by Joyce from the opening bell.

This is a solid test for Joyce on short notice but a win looks inevitable and it’s a case of predicting when it will come. Hammer is tough and durable but at short notice, he will not be as fit as he would like and that’s a dangerous position to be in against a relentless puncher like Joe Joyce. Joyce is also not a fighter that likes to waste much time and he will want to make a statement here before targeting the likes of Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury. All things considered, this looks like an early night for Joyce and he can finish this fight in rounds 1-3 (4/1).

The one eye catching fight on the undercard is between super bantamweights Jason Cunningham and Zolani Tete. Jason Cunningham is a fighter that has seen everything British boxing has to offer and the 32-year-old has been a credit to sport during his eleven-year professional career.

With a record of 31-6 (7KO) the Yorkshireman has dealt with his fair share of defeats but he has continuously bounced back and enters the ring this weekend in the form of his life. ‘The Iceman’ has beat the likes of Gamal Yafai and Brad Foster in recent years and was a sizeable underdog in both fights.

This weekend he takes another huge step up in class against former world champion Zolani Tete who is no stranger to British boxing fans. The South African burst onto the scene in 2015 when he travelled to Liverpool and knocked out Paul Butler in devastating fashion to claim the IBF super flyweight title.

Tete defended that belt multiple times before division and running into John Riel Casimero in 2019 who stopped him inside three rounds. Casimero is an elite talent however and Tete remains a very dangerous fighter returning to this level.

A couple of years ago, Tete would enter this fight as a huge favourite but the recent form of Cunningham means this is now a complete 50/50. Cunningham is priced at (1/1) to emerge victorious while Tete is (5/6) to claim victory at Wembley Arena.

It is dangerous to count out Jason Cunningham who has proven doubters wrong on multiple occasions but Tete has fought at a higher level and has proven in the past he is very hard to beat against anyone other than the elite champions. A price of 5/6 seems very generous for the powerful South African and looks te be the best bet of the weekend.

JORDAN NEILD

RECOMMENDED BETS

BACK Joe Joyce in rounds 1-3 1pt at 4/1 (Latest Star Price 1948 ? CLICK TO BET NOW)

BACK Zolani Tete to win 2pts at 5/6 (Latest Star Price ? CLICK TO BET NOW)

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