Joe Joyce and Derek Chisora will square off in an all-British clash this weekend, as the veterans look to gain momentum in the heavyweight division. And as the fight nears, The Independent has searched the best betting sites for top odds on this particular contest.
Each man is aiming to build upon a win in his last outing, although both of those victories were much needed at the time.
Joyce, 38, made a name for himself as an Olympic silver medalist in 2016, and he then went on a fine, unbeaten run as a professional. However, that run was halted by Zhilei Zhang – a fellow ex-Olympian – in April 2023, when the Chinese star stopped the "Juggernaut" in round six. Zhang, 41, then won even more emphatically in September, when he and Joyce contested a rematch that ended in the third round. However, Joyce bounced back in March by knocking out Kash Ali in the final frame of their fight in Birmingham.
Meanwhile, Chisora's last fight was a spirited decision victory over Gerald Washington in August. The 40-year-old has therefore been less active than Joyce recently, but is nevertheless coming off a win, having used his bout with Washington to bounce back from a late stoppage loss to Tyson Fury. When Chisora faced Fury in December 2022, the latter retained the WBC heavyweight title by finishing his old friend in the 10th round.
But who will retain momentum on Saturday, when Joyce and Chisora go head to head at the O2 Arena in London? Ahead of the fight, The Independent has searched through some of the best online betting sites and new bookmakers to bring you a couple of key predictions and useful betting tips.
Joe Joyce vs Derek Chisora betting tips
• Fight to end in rounds 9-12 – 5/1 William Hill
• Chisora to win on points – 14/1 Betfred
Either man's fate to be sealed late
Historically, Joyce and Chisora have both shown tremendous resilience and endurance in the ring, though the question has always been: When will those reserves run out?
Some fans will believe that Joyce reached that fateful moment in his pair of bouts with Zhang in 2023, when he was stopped in the sixth round of their first meeting and the third round of their rematch. However, his previous result exhibited that trademark toughness; Joyce survived the best that Joseph Parker had to offer in their clash in September 2022, walking through the New Zealander's shots before putting him away in brutal fashion in the 11th round. Never before had Parker been knocked out. Joyce's other career-highlight win also came late, when he stopped compatriot Daniel Dubois in the 10th round back in 2020, and his most recent fight – that win over Ali in March – also ended in round 10.
And as mentioned, Chisora is as resilient as they come as well. His loss to Fury in December 2022 was sealed in the 10th of 12 rounds, while he went all 10 with Washington last time out before winning on points. And prior to those two fights, "War" went the distance in four straight fights, surviving 12 rounds with Oleksandr Usyk, 12 with Parker, 12 with Parker again, then 12 with Kubrat Pulev. Chisora only won the last of those fights, but he famously gave Usyk trouble, and the fact that he was there until the very end in all four contests is telling.
Still, Joyce and Chisora both carry significant power, with Joyce having earned 15 of his 16 pro wins via knockout, while 23 of Chisora's 34 have been KOs. Therefore, it very much feels like a late finish is there for the taking – by either man. Among the best betting apps, William Hill offers good value on such an outcome.
Joe Joyce vs Derek Chisora prediction 1: Fight to end in rounds 9-12 – 5/1 William Hill
Joyce vs Chisora tip: Chisora could eke out a narrow victory
As highlighted above, both Joyce and Chisora can wade into deep waters – and thrive there – so while we can't rule out an early stoppage completely of course, the likeliest outcome after a late finish is the fight reaching the final bell (barely, perhaps!). Our first pick accommodates either fighter winning, and it certainly is a tough bout to call, but pressed for a winner...
Chisora has shown the necessary nous to eke out decision wins in two of his last three fights – that recent, unanimous-decision victory over Washington and his split-decision win against Pulev in 2022. At times, the veteran can look out of a contest, only to rally in stupefying fashion. With that in mind, it's not too difficult to picture Chisora doing enough to grab a narrow points victory – maybe even a split decision – after a back-and-forth, exhausting contest for the heavyweights.
After searching through the best boxing sites in the UK, we've found that Betfred offers great value on a Chisora decision win (regardless of whether that's via unanimous, split or majority decision). Chisora winning in such fashion is available at 14/1, compared to Joyce at 4/1, and we think that's a tad harsh on "Del Boy" and worth capitalising on with this particular online bookmaker.
Joe Joyce vs Derek Chisora prediction 2: Chisora to win on points – 14/1 Betfred
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