>>28731432The description of the midnight form mentions the thrill of taking on stronger opponents. It also mentions how he doesn't mind taking hits in a fight, and the lowered guard is something Joe used early in his boxing career. The biggest sell is how Lycanroc's signature move is Counter - executed the same way as Joe's signature move, the cross counter, where they wait for the opponent to make a mistake before launching the counter.
Then there's the whole bit about growing up as a wild, solitary Pokemon, which reflects Joe's childhood as an orphan vagabond. Follow that up with holding contempt for those who boss him around, respect for those who he cares deeply about, and his fighting spirit (manifested with Vital Spirit, which keeps Lycanroc from going unconscious aside from KO) and everything adds up. Joe's eyes were also said to glow with the spirits of boxers he faced in the past.
Yabuki Joe is also known as Rocky Joe in some translations around the world.
