Joe Joyce has dismissed retirement talk following his defeat to Filip Hrgovic despite his promoter Frank Warren urging his fighter to ‘have a serious think about the future’.
Joyce, 39, was primed for a world title shot at the start of 2023 but damaging back-to-back defeats to Zhilei Zhang knocked him off course.
He returned to the ring in a drab affair against Kash Ali last year before he was bested by Derek Chisora last July, knocked down in the ninth round before losing on an unanimous points decision.
Joyce was scheduled to fight Dillian Whyte with the Brixton fighter withdrawing from the contest last month.
Hrgovic, a man Joyce fought in the amateurs, stepped in as a replacement, grinding out a points win over his old rival on Saturday night.
Joyce looked sharp at times during the contest but was made to eat far too many stiff shots with the Croatian taking charge of their 10-round contest.
Joyce has long been credited with having one of the best chins in heavyweight boxing but his punch resistance, or lack of, has come under heavy scrutiny since those defeats to Zhang.
With a return to the world title picture now further away then ever, Joyce has suggested he is not going anywhere.
‘Yeah [I want to continue,’ Joyce told DAZN.
‘It’s tough. He’s [Hrgovic] a great fighter and he’s been doing it a long time. Are you not entertained?’
Warren, who has promoted Joyce since 2019, said post-fight: ‘Joe has got to go and have a serious think about the future.
‘He’ll sit down and have a think and we’ll plan for the future whatever happens.’
On the undercard in Manchester, David Adeleye stopped British heavyweight rival Jeamie Tshikeva in hugely controversial circumstances.
In the sixth round of the contest, referee Ron Kearney appeared to tap ‘TKV’ on the gloves and shout ‘break’ while both men were in the clinch.
But as soon as Tshikeva lowered his hands, Adeleye threw a huge left hook that floored his opponent.
Tshikeva was able to get back to his feet but it invited Adeleye some come crashing in with shots to close the show.