Joe Joyce vows to knock out Kash Ali, Liam Davies tips himself as ‘Britain’s next world champion’

Joe Joyce vowed to get his career back on track with a statement win in his all-British heavyweight clash with Kash Ali at the Magnificent Seven event, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

Joyce, 38, is coming off back-to-back stoppage defeats to China’s Zhilei Zhang, meaning he lost his status as the No. 1 challenger to WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk.

He faced calls to retire after being brutally knocked out in his second bout with Zhang and is well aware of the importance of his fight with Ali on Saturday in Birmingham.

“I have to perform,” Joyce told TNT Sports. “He’s a decent enough fighter so I need to be careful. It’s an opportunity for him and I remember sparring him and he was decent.

“It’s going to be a good fight, exciting fight, heavyweight fight, and I’m going to knock him out.”

He added: “I haven’t been worrying about my weight, I feel good, I’m in shape. My abs are showing so it’s good weight, muscle more than fat.

“I feel good, I’m in a good place. I had a good camp and I’m ready to fight now. I’m fighting fit.”

Ali, 21-2-0, Ali is also looking to return to the win column after losing on points to Bohdan Myronets in July last year.

The 32-year-old has yet to face a fighter of the calibre of his fellow Brit and has cut a confident figure in the build-up, but Joyce admitted he is putting no stock into the trash talk.

“He was going on about how I was going to get my chin checked and he’s going to end my career and whatnot so take from that what you will,” Joyce said. “We’ll see on fight night.

“This is an unfazed face.”

Also on the card, which is headlined by Nathan Heaney v Brad Pauls, Liam Davies takes on Erik Robles Ayala for the vacant IBO world super-bantamweight championship.

The 27-year-old is putting his undefeated 15-0 record on the line against the Mexican and believes “nothing is going to stop” him when the pair enter the ring.

Respect has been mutual in the build-up but Davies insists that will be replaced by “bad intentions” when the first bell sounds.

“I don’t think it needs to always be chaos,” Davis told TNT Sports. “We’re both going to get in there and try and take each other’s head off that’s for sure, so a bit of respect shown now, none tomorrow, and a lot more after we share the ring.

“I’m happy with my preparation and I’m looking forward to tomorrow. It’s my time and nothing is going to stop me.”

Davies is coming off back-to-back TKO wins and was asked why people should tune in to TNT Sports to watch his latest bout, replying: “Because as you know I always come with bad intentions, always do the business.

“I’m Britain’s next world champion and maybe next superstar, so I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.”

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