If you were bleary eyed having set your alarm for Deontay Wilder v Tyson Fury this morning you would have missed an explosive performance from Joe Joyce on the undercard in Los Angeles.
Former Olympic medalist Joyce ended the contest in the very first round, knocking out Hanks in sensational style with a beauty of a left hook.
Joyce is making steady progress through the division - he is now 7-0 as he pushes for a crack at the title. Fury sparred with Joyce in his training for the fight against Wilder and he looks set for a bright future, this being his second fight on American soil.
The win came after just two minutes and 25 seconds of the first round and earned him the vacant WBA Continental heavyweight title.
Joyce said in the ring after the fight: “I’ve been doing well and there is much more to come.
"There’s a lot of support from back home in England so thanks for coming. And hopefully I put on something that was good to watch.”
“I’m ready for anyone and I want to get into some bigger fights.
“Whoever is watching — I’m ready. I’m ready to show you more. I’m getting people out quickly and I have good experience, so I need to keep improving. People say I’m slow but I land my shots and get the job done.”
