Joe Joyce put on a masterclass against Joseph Parker at the weekend, furthering his stock in the heavyweight division amongst the current crop of boxers.

It was a brutal battle between the pair that lasted into the 11th round when Joyce finally got the knock out he was craving with a fierce left hook.

He was able to take a battering during the contest, showing the strength of his chin, with his performance raising plenty of eyebrows, including that of Tony Bellew.

Tony Bellew on Joe Joyce

The former Scouse champion was hugely impressed by Joyce, telling talkSPORT: “Joe Joyce’s best attribute is his durability and that came through once again.

“He outlasts his man and… his durability is on another level, I’ve never seen anything like it… but he also has the fitness, dexterity and calmness to see through storms and that’s what he’s done.

“He did it against Daniel Dubois, now he’s done it against Joseph Parker and he’s a problem for any heavyweight in the world.”

Tyson Fury has backed Joe Joyce to beat Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk

Will anyone knockout Joe Joyce?

His performance this weekend suggests that it will be incredibly difficult to knock him down and keep him down, especially if he keeps eating shots like he did from Parker.

But the chances of him losing via a knock out could be some way off, with Bellew not confident in many to stop Joyce.

Bellew stated: “Joyce is purely a problem because he’s going to be there, You won’t get rid of him, until the bubble bursts and someone does finally knock him out.

“I think the only guys who could knock him out potentially are Deontay Wilder or maybe AJ, I’m not even sure Fury could do it.

Tony Bellew

“He threw 800 punches on Saturday night and 600 of those 800 are not very damaging, they’re just taps, but if you keep knocking on a wall in the end it’s going to fall down.

“That’s what Joe Joyce does, he just keeps coming and he keeps that work rate going. He fights at a pace that most heavyweights just don’t do and they can’t keep with him and then after you hit him with absolutely everything and this pace is just continuing, it’s a problem.”

That’s some serious claims from Bellew, an undefeated heavyweight champion couldn’t knock out Joyce, with only two others having a chance, with one on the back of a string of defeats and the other only just returning from a hiatus.

All three would obviously back themselves to get the knockout against Joyce, but if they actually walk the walk is another task altogether.

Will we see Joyce stepping foot in the ring with one of the three big hitters in the heavyweight division anytime soon?