Artem Suslenkov TKO11 Joe Joyce... In the co-feature from Moscow, fringe heavyweight contender Artem Suslenkov of Russia RUS) defeated the faded 2016 Olympic silver medallist Joe Joyce. In his prime, Joyce was a warrior, but this time he pulled a "no mas," retiring in the middle of round eleven.  Despite conceding height and reach, Suslenkov immediately imposed his game plan. He pressed forward from the opening bell, forcing Joyce to fight off the back foot and repeatedly looking to land his powerful left hook. Joyce responded with his jab and used his size effectively in the clinches, but he struggled to establish the long-range rhythm that has served him throughout his career. As the fight settled, Suslenkov’s pressure only intensified. The Russian consistently closed the distance, landed heavy hooks and combinations, and dictated the pace through the middle rounds. Joyce showed his trademark toughness, absorbing punishment without going down, but increasingly found himself reacting rather than taking the initiative.

 

By the championship rounds, the momentum was entirely with Suslenkov. Although the tempo slowed at times, the Russian continued to walk Joyce down and land the more telling punches, gradually breaking down the experienced Briton. The sustained pressure finally proved decisive in the eleventh round. After another series of heavy exchanges, Joyce indicated that he could no longer continue, bringing the contest to an end. Along with a win over Michael "The Body" Hunter, the technical knockout victory over Joyce marks the biggest result of Suslenkov’s career and further strengthens his position among the leading heavyweight contenders.