Joe Joyce vs Artem Suslenkov Preview July 11th, 2026
Heavyweight Joe Joyce of England is back in action this Saturday, July 11th when he takes on Russia’s unbeaten Artem Suslenkov over in Moscow. Joyce last boxed in April, 2025 when he dropped a 10-round unanimous decision to Filip Hrgovic in Manchester, England for his second straight defeat. In his previous outing, Joyce, a former WBO Interim Champion, lost a 10-round unanimous decision to Dereck Chisora. Suslenkov last stepped into the ring in April when he stopped Artur Mann in the third round. This Saturday’s fight can be seen live on You Tube and fans should also check the DAZN listings in their area. The card reportedly gets underway at about 4am ET.
Joyce vs Suslenkov Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Joe Joyce +230
- Artem Suslenkov -370
My Pick
The 40-year-old Joyce didn’t turn pro until late in 2017 after a fine amateur career which saw him win gold medals at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and 2015 European Games. He also took home a silver from the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in the super-heavyweight division when he lost the gold-medal match to Tony Yoka of France. Joyce owns a pro record of 16-4 with 15 wins coming by way of knockout.
He stands 6-feet-6-inches tall with an 80-inch reach and it’s obvious he has some power in his fists as 93.7 per cent of his wins have come by stoppage. However, he’s 1-4 in his last five fights now. His opponents so far have been Hrgovic, Chisora, Kash Ali, Zhilei Zhang (twice), former World Champion Joseph Parker, Christian Hammer, Carlos Takam, Daniel Dubois, Michael Wallisch, Bryant Jennings, Alexander Ustinov, former WBC World Champion Bermane Stiverne, Ian Lewison, Rudolf Jozic, Donnie Palmer, Lenroy Thomas, Ivica Bacurin, Iago Kiladze and Joe Hanks.
It’s a pretty solid list and each one of his opponents entered the ring with a winning record. Joyce has also won several WBC and WBO minor belts as he captured the British, European and Commonwealth Titles when he halted young prospect Daniel Dubois in the 10th round in 2020. He also won the vacant WBA Continental Heavyweight Belt when he beat Hanks in 2018. His biggest win came against Joseph Parker in 2022 when he stopped him in the 11th round to win the WBO Interim Belt. He lost it in his next bout though when he was stopped in the third round by Zhilei Zhang in the sixth round in April, 2023 and was halted in the third round by Zhang in a rematch four months later.
Joyce’s boxing skills haven’t had a chance to be showcased very often though as he has four first-round Ko’s as well as one in the second and two in the third and has boxed just 113 rounds since turning pro. The only times he’s gone the distance were against Hrgovic, Chisora and Bryant Jennings, who lasted 12 rounds in 2019 but dropped a unanimous decision. Even though he was stopped twice by Zhang, Joyce owns a pretty good chin as Parker nailed him with some bombs in 2022 and he took them well. However, his eye worsened against Zhang round after round as Joyce absorbed some punishing jabs and left hands.
The 30-year-old Suslenkov enters the ring with a perfect mark of 14-0 with 9 Ko’s and has boxed just 52 rounds since making his pro debut in 2018. He enjoyed an extensive amateur career and fought in the World Series of Boxing. He also captured the Russian National Amateur Championship and won a gold medal at the World Military Games in 2019. Suslenkov is known for his high-pressure, aggressive style, combination punching and his heavy jab.
He measures 6-feet-1-inch tall with an unlisted reach so gives up five inches in height to Joyce. Suslenkov has better-than-average power in his fists as his current knockout ratio clocks in at 64.3 per cent. He’s halted his last two opponents but has gone the distance in three of his last six outings. Suslenkov has never fought as a pro outside of Russia and nine of his 14 opponents entered the ring with a winning record. He won the vacant IBF European Heavyweight Title in January, 2025 via a 10-round majority decision over Jack Mulowayi and also has a win over veteran Christian Hammer.
Prediction…
Joyce hasn’t looked very good in his last five fights as he was stopped twice by Zhang, dropped a decision to Chisora, was lethargic in his late KO win over Kash Ali and dropped a decision to Filip Hrgovic. He’s also 40 years old now and fighting on the road in Russia. Suslenkov is no world beater though and is stepping up in class against Joyce. He’s a decent prospect and 10 years younger than Joyce and will definitely need to step it up against him to climb in the current WBA rankings from his number nine position. Considering Joyce’s experience I expect both boxers to have their moments but believe the younger Suslenkov should come out the winner here, likely by decision or with Joyce being stopped on his feet.
Suslenkov is a decade younger and fighting at home.
Play Suslenkov -370 @ BetOnline.ag
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Artem Suslenkov betting • Joe Joyce betting