Wembley, UK - In a stay busy heavyweight fight, top rated contender Joe Joyce (14-0, 13 KOs) dropped Christian Hammer (27-10, 17 KOs) four times for a stoppage win in the fourth round.

In the first two rounds, Hammer found it easy to land overhand rights, but Joyce was able to walk right through the punches. The pace began to wear Hammer down in the third, with Joyce coming and coming. Hammer went down at the end of the round more so from exhaustion, which was scored a knockdown as a grazing punch from Joyce had connected.

At the start of the fourth, Joyce went right back to work and dropped Hammer with a body shot. Hammer made it up, but Joyce jumped on him with a variety of big shots for a third knockdown. Another shot to the body decked Hammer once again and the fight was waved off.

“He was tough and he was game and he hit me with a few good shots early on,” Joyce said. “I had to work him out and then start landing my shots – he’s a tough guy because I hit him with some big ones. I enjoyed it so much, it has been a whole year since I was out and it is good to be back again, it’s exciting, I love it. 

“If you go out in the rain, you normally have an umbrella, but if you don’t you get wet. So that’s what happens early on, until I get my defenses up and my footwork going and head movement, especially as I haven’t fought in so long. I have to warm into the fight, so it seems."

Joyce is now hoping to face the biggest names in the weight class. The massive heavyweight is being penciled in to return on September 24.

“I’m top level, ready for the world stage. I’m a proper heavyweight, I’m fit, I’ve got an engine, I’ve got a chin, a big heart and big cojones. I’m ready for allcomers and I am looking to fight the winner of AJ-Usyk or possibly Tyson Fury if he come out. I’m at that level. It’s a shame [Joseph] Parker couldn’t make it tonight but let’s see what happens," Joyce said.