Joe Joyce beats Christian Hammer: Who will the champ fight next?

Joe Joyce is the No. 1 contender for the WBO heavyweight title, and on Saturday he handled his business to force a bout against champion Oleksandr Usyk. Joyce beat Christian Hammer after three consecutive knockdowns in the fourth round. The ref stopped the fight at the 1:20 mark after a body shot sent Hammer to his knee.

Joyce was a -4000 favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook and he made it clear why he was favored. Hammer gave Joyce some trouble in the first round with a few solid shots, but Joyce took over in the second round and wore down the challenger. Hammer went to one knee in the closing seconds of the third round and was worn down from there.

Following the bout, his promoter said Joyce would be back in September. Considering Joyce hadn’t fought for a year, it makes sense for him to keep busy. He’ll be keeping an eye out for August’s big heavyweight title bout between Usyk and Anthony Joshua. Following the bout, Joyce said he’d be interested in fighting the winner of that bout or potentially Tyson Fury. For now, we’ll wait and see what August’s big title fight brings.