Ionut Baluta Shocks David Oliver Joyce, Stops Him in Three

Ionut Baluta threw hard shots and plenty of them as he upset David Oliver Joyce, stopping the Irish prospect in the third round of their super-bantamweight ten-rounder on the Josh Taylor-Apinun Khongsong undercard at the York Hall in East London.

Baluta, a Romanian based in Spain, completely overwhelmed Joyce, finding the former amateur star a surprisingly easy target. Baluta started fast in the opening round, winging in big hooks, and throwing Joyce off his stride. Joyce came back in the first round well, but Baluta began the second round as if he had a train to catch, trapping Joyce in a corner and unloading. Joyce tried to tuck up, but was caught repeatedly and seemed incapable of getting out of the way of the punches. At the end of the round, Baluta wound up three big right hooks, all of which landed.

Joyce, who ended the career of former world champion Lee Haskins in February, was told to show a bit more urgency in the third and began the round by forcing Baulta back. But the Romanian was still throwing and unleashed a huge left hook, which dropped Joyce on his back. 

The Irishman beat the count, but Baluta went for the finish, trapping Joyce and unloading until Steve Gray, the referee, intervened at 1:49 of the round.

Bob Williams, Michael Alexander and Phil Edwards were the judges. Joyce was defending his WBO “European” belt.

boxinscene.com

Ionut Baluta destroys Davey Oliver Joyce

Ionut Baluta (14-2, 3 KOs) pulled off a big upset in defeating WBO European super-bantamweight champion Davey Oliver Joyce (12-2, 9 KOs) by a third-round knockout. Joyce should have realized what he had in front of him, as he was blown out in round three when Baluta suddenly turned on the gas and dropped him with a peak of a left hand.

boxingnews24.com

In a surprise, Ionut Baluta (14-2, 3 KOs) stopped 2016 Olympian Davey Oliver Joyce (12-2, 9 KOs) in round three to seize the WBO European junior featherweight title. Baluta dropped Joyce with a left hook, them got the stop with a ferocious follow-up. In 2020, Baluta has defeated former world champ TJ Doheny and now Joyce.

fightnews.com

Ionut Baluta TKO-3 Davey Oliver Joyce: This is two straight good wins for Baluta (14-2, 3 KO), a 26-year-old Romanian, now based in Spain, and both came against Irish guys, for what it’s worth. Baluta upset former world titlist TJ Doheny in March, and here he just trucked Joyce (12-2, 9 KO), the 33-year-old former Irish amateur standout who has now lost two of three and probably has to consider whether pro boxing is for him at this point, whether he’ll want to try coming back again or if he’d be content to stick around as probably more of a prospect checker for a while. Joyce moved down to 122 in his last fight and beat a faded Lee Haskins, but Baluta rushed him in this fight and just beat him up. Joyce was down once in the third, and the referee stepped in as he was facing another assault.

badlefthook.com

David Oliver Joyce has been knocked out tonight in London by Romanian bogeyman Ionut Baluta.

The defeater of TJ Doheny claimed another Irish scalp on the Josh Taylor Apinun Khongsong undercard at BT Sport Studios, taking Joyce’s WBO European title and sending the Westmeath Olympian out of world title contention.

Baluta knocked ‘The Punisher’ down in the third round of their super bantamweight contest and finished the fight soonafter for another against-the-odds triumph.

The game Baluta had caused one of the shocks of the year back in March in Dubai where he outpointed an out-of-sorts Doheny over eight rounds. The upset victory over a recent world champion came off the back of another underdog triumph last October when he defeated Kyle Williams, who fights Charlie Edwards in tonight’s chief support, in Wolverhampton – further emphasising his danger to DOJ.

For Joyce, it was another major contest and a first defence of the WBO European super bantamweight rankings title he won versus Lee Haskins in Belfast in February. That bout had been his comeback and first at 122lbs following his Golden Contract defeat to Leigh Wood last October.

Like versus Doheny, Baluta began quickly, most likely taking the opener as Joyce sized up his opposition.

Joyce had warmed into the first round, landing a few nice left hooks as the stanza progressed but was caught early in the second as Baluta piled on the pressure. The experienced Irishman managed to temporarily weather the storm, timing a nice right hands but the bigger belts were coming through from the inspired Baluta.

The Mullingar man did make a better start to the third but it all quickly unravelled, a long left hook sending him down heavily. Joyce rose but was quickly sent back to the ropes and referee Steve Gray intervened to end the bout.

33-year-old Joyce now falls to 12(9)-2(2) and his next move at this stage looks unsure. The sensational road warrior Baluta improves to 14(3)-2(0) and could soon be seen in more major fights.

irish-boxing.com