JOE JOYCE survived a close shave from Christian Hammer last night, and can now cut down Anthony Joshua.
The 36-year old Putney Juggernaut started a verbal war with his former Team GB trainee buddy as they prepared for the fourth round KO by the tough German.
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A few days earlier, Joyce was at Wembley Arena to bring down the Hamburg 34 year-old. However, AJ made fun of him for advertising an electric razor that was specifically designed for male intimates.
The graduate in fine art – who believes Oleksandr Uzyk will win the August 20 rematch at AJ, leaving London 2012 Olympic champion looking for a return bout – now desires the scalp of his prickly dream competitor.
Hammer was 6ft 6in and performed a series of head-and-body blows at opening of opener.
But Hammer tested the Englishman’s famously firm whiskers with a hat-trick of piledrivers that frightened the London crowd.
Three looping flush right hands knocked all the spit and snot out of Joyce’s nose and mouth but the granite-chinned hulk walked through the assault.
Hammer kept swinging again in the second and landed a worrying amount of clean digs again but Joyce’s iron jaw refused to betray him.
Joyce got his fans to dance in the third. The chunky German was looking bratwurst and Joyce was knocked to the ground right on the bell.
Hammer was folded in the fourth, when his meaty and smoky ribs were whacked. Hammer was then whacked again with two minutes remaining. It was waived off when another torso trembler provided a third decking.
Joyce, who will box again in September, roared: “He was tough and game and hit me with some big shots early on.
“I enjoyed it so much because it has been a whole year since I was last out.
“I tend to take a few early shots until I warm into the fight and get my footwork and head movement going.
“I have a big heart and engine and a good chin and I am ready for all comers.
“I want the winner of AJ vs Usyk.”
Joshua, 32, may have fired Joyce up when Joyce replied to his jibe that he was a chinny businessman, as the war of words escalated with his friend-turned foe.
The former two-time world heavyweight king quipped: “We’re all trying to promote something and be businessmen — he’s promoting balls trimmers, I don’t.
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“What’s good for him is not for me. I don’t cuss him for it so he needs to just focus on himself.”
“I definitely don’t have a chin like Joe Joyce and I definitely wouldn’t want to take the punches he takes either.
“But good luck to him. He’s on my hit list but all in good time, he’ll get what’s coming to him.
“I think he needs the fight because he’s older. He’s had 14 fights, I was looking at his record and it’s not much, is it? So I think he needs it.”
Joyce will be the Baddest Man on Earth if he does manage to get a shot at AJ.
Joshua said: “Prize-fighting is about honouring your brothers in the sport, giving them an opportunity to make a living — that’s what the great Mike Tyson said.
“It’s what prize-fighting is about and, if I live by what my icons told me, 100 per cent I’ll give Joe a chance.”