By Paul O’Donovan
Mullingar boxer Davy Oliver Joyce has announced that he is strongly considering turning professional. Joyce who boxed at the Rio Olympics last August at the 60kg weight told Topic this week, “I’m considering turning professional.
I spent some time over in America recently and spoke to a number of people about making the switch to professional. I was in Philidelphia and now that I’m back home, I’m considering my options. If I think the professional ranks are right for me, I will make the switch. I will probably make my mind up by the end of this month,” said Joyce.
Joyce, who defeated Andrique Allisop of the Seychelles in the last 32 bout in Rio, before bowing out to world silver medalist Albert Selimov in the last 16 of the Olympics, said: “If you turn professional, it is not something you can decide over night. You need time to think about it. Michael Conlon and Katie Taylor are experienced boxers and they took a long time before making the decision. There are a lot of things to consider. I have family to think about and they are very important. But I have been fighting amateur for many years now and I think it is time to move,” said Joyce.
Apart from the prospect of making more money from the professional ranks, there is the lure of some big fight nights ahead if Joyce turns professional.
The Mullingar boxer is hopeful of basing himself in London and training there and then fighting in America. This would allow Joyce to stay nearer home in Ireland but yet be fully focused on his boxing career. It is also a possibility that Joyce could box on the undercard of Michael Conlon or Katie Taylor as he begins his professional career, and that would be a huge incentive for the Mullingar boxer.
“Of course I would love to box on the same card as Michael Conlon or Katie Taylor; they would be huge boxing nights to be involved in, but for the moment, I will just have to consider my options, but it certainly looks like I will turn professional in the near future,” said Joyce.
