- What: Joe Joyce vs Kash Ali
- Where: Birmingham, England
- When: Saturday, March 16, 3 PM ET
Joe Joyce will look to begin the resurrection of his boxing career on Saturday as he faces a controversial figure in Kash Ali. This fight is 10 rounds in the heavyweight division and will take place in Birmingham, England since both guys are British. Joyce suffered back-to-back defeats to Zhilei Zhang, suffering a nasty eye cut in the first matchup before getting knocked out in the rematch. We'll get into that more below. As for Ali, he fought last July and lost to Bohdan Myronets. Ali is not a well-known name but he did get notoriety back in 2019 when he was disqualified for biting David Price in his only big fight in 2019. Continue reading for the Joe Joyce vs Kash Ali picks.
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Joe Joyce vs Kash Ali Odds
| Fighter |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Joyce | -3300 | -2800 | -2500 |
| Kash Ali | +1200 | +1200 | +900 |
Joyce is a massive favorite here at -3300 odds, which is no surprise. His track record is far more impressive than Ali, who comes in as a +1200 underdog. These two have never met before.
Important Fight For Joyce
Only last year, the talk was all about how Joe Joyce was on the verge of getting a title shot in the heavyweight division with a 15-0 record. But, all of that hope was gone when he lost to Zhang in two consecutive fights, a guy who many expected Joyce to beat and then get a chance to face Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk. Instead, it's now back to the drawing board for Joyce, who needs a victory badly to get his career back on track. This will be his first fight of the calendar year and while the opponent may not be well known, we saw what happened when Joyce took Zhang for granted.
The 38-year-old has an impressive 14 knockouts in his 15 victories, beating some very solid opponents along the way such as Daniel Dubois, Joseph Parker, and Christian Hammer. Nearing age 40, it's now or never for Joyce to get another title shot so it's extremely important he takes care of business on Saturday. The 6 foot 6 is powerful as can be and as you can see by his numbers, has all the strength in the world. But, it's important to note that Ali has never been put on the canvas, losing by disqualification and by points. There's a first time for everything though, right? Perhaps that'll change this weekend.
Good Chance For Ali
Ali isn't one that many people will know but he does have an overall record of 21-2. The Birmingham native fights out of Rotherham and is six years younger than Joyce at 32. 12 of his victories have come by the way of the knockout. There's also a massive difference in the rankings between Ali and Joyce. Ali is 19th in UK heavyweights and 183rd in the world, while Joyce is fourth on the British list and eighth overall on the globe. Needless to say, this is the most difficult opponent Ali has and likely will ever face.
Ali did lose last time out but did have four straight victories before that. He put his best foot forward against Myronets but the judges gave the latter the victory on points. While Ali is surely grateful for the opportunity to fight a guy like Joyce, he also won't be dwelling on it. It's a chance to show he's capable of competing with the best.
The reality is this bout is a step up for Ali and it remains to be seen if he'll be prepared for such a tall task. A lot of people are criticizing Joyce for facing an opponent far below his level in terms of his resume, but it should still be an interesting one.
Joe Joyce vs Kash Ali Picks
I have zero doubts Joe Joyce will win this fight. But, the moneyline offers absolutely zero value. Although my pick may sound risky, I expect Joyce to come out and finish things early. Take him to win in rounds 3-4 at +200 odds.
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