Joe Joyce is now in line for a shot at Anthony Joshua's WBO heavyweight title following his sixth-round stoppage win against Carlos Takam.
But will he be able to compete with the world's top heavyweights after a mixed peformance against Takam on Saturday night.
Speaking on the latest episode of The DAZN Boxing Show, Chris Mannix stated that time is not on Joyce's side, but anyone who shares the ring with the 35-year-old must be prepared to go the distance.
"He's 35 years old, as you mentioned [he] started late, was at the Olympics in 2016. He doesn't have the luxury of being patient and waiting two or three years to get one of these big fights. So I think it would be challenging for him against an upper echelon guy like Joshua, or a Tyson Fury." Mannix explained.
"But when you face Joe Joyce, you've got to be ready to go the distance, he's not going to get knocked out, at least not the version I've seen over his last few fights."
Joyce's jab is something future opponents need to fear.
This particular aspect of his fighting style has allowed him to keep his distance against dangerous power punchers such as British rival Daniel Dubois, who Joyce beat via stoppage in the tenth round last November.
Joyce's jab was so devasating it damaged Dubois' eye socket, resulting in a long lay off for the 23-year-old.
While Joyce may have to wait up to two years for a world title fight, the future is still bright according to Mannix with plenty of 'big money' options for the British fighter even if a championship belt isn't on the line.
"If you're Joyce, you're in a kind of a good situation because there are money fights out there for you, not title fights, but money fights."
Andy Ruiz Jr. and Dillian Whyte were just some of the names mentioned by Mannix when it came discussing potential opponents for Joyce.
"I think Joe Joyce vs. Andy Ruiz is an excellent fight, probably over here in the U.S. domestically away.
"I was just gonna say Dillian Whyte vs. Joe Joyce, Dillian Whyte's going to fight in August or September, you can make the Joe Joyce vs. Dillian Whyte fight in the UK in front of a massive crowd."
Joyce maybe a few years older than the likes of Fury and Joshua, but he has all the necessary skills to pose a challenge for the top two fighters in the division. It's just a case of whether there is enough time for the Olympic silver medalist to have a world title fight at the peak of his powers.