Joe Joyce ready for next Heavyweight challenge

On Tuesday afternoon in London, heavyweight Contender Joe Joyce and his German opponent for Saturday night, Michael Wallisch, met each other and with the media in advance of their scheduled 10-round battle.

The heavyweight tilt will be the main event of the second show back for Queensberry Promotions and legendary British promoter, Frank Warren:

Joe Joyce had some fun facing off behind a protective screen ?#JoyceWallisch | Saturday, 7:15pm | BT Sport 1 HD pic.twitter.com/YKXFFxJMHi

— Boxing on BT Sport ? (@BTSportBoxing) July 21, 2020

Warren was in attendance with the fighters at the outdoor venue to help “talk up” the first of two battles in the coming weeks that he hopes leads back to his originally scheduled Joyce vs. Daniel Dubois main event. That delayed matchup is now tentatively set for October 24th at London’s O2 Arena

Dubois, 14-0, 13 KOs, is scheduled to take on another German fighter named, Erik Pfeiffer, in the Warren/Queensberry show on August 29th.

The Battle of the unbeatens, Joyce-Dubois fight, was to have been in April, but was sidelined for the Covid-19 pandemic. There had been hope that the fight would be held in July, but it has been delayed further while Warren could work out with the British boxing Board of Control and television partner BT Sport to have fight cards without fans in their television studios.

He wants the Joyce-Dubois fight in front of at least some fans for the live gate revenue and atmosphere.

Joyce, nicknamed “Juggernaut,’ is a former MMA fighter, who is relatively new to boxing, even at age 34. He turned Pro after winning a Gold Medal at the Rio Summer Olympics in 2016 and had won his first nine fights by knockout. Philadelphia journeyman, Bryant Jennings, took him the distance last July in a 12-round decision at the O2 Arena.

Meanwhile for Saturday, Wallisch is 34 years old 20 – 3, 13 Kos and was last in action, when he was stopped by French young Prospect Tony Yoka last September in three rounds. Wallisch has lost three of his last four fights after a 19 – 0 start to his career.

Dubois is more of the “up-and-comer” of the two British unbeaten contenders Warren has, and he hopes to have the winner in position for a possible 2021 title shot.

However, much of the schedule is murky as Unified Heavyweight champ, Anthony Joshua of England, still has to defend against his IBF mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev. And, WBC heavyweight champ, Tyson Fury, has his third fight with former champ, Deontay Wilder slated or later this year, as well.

Also, waiting in the wings is WBO top contender and former Undisputed Cruiserweight Champion Oleksandr Usyk, as well as, England’s heavyweight challenger, Dillian Whyte, who has had on again – off again status, as the WBC number one contender due to a previous failed drug test last year.

Whyte is fighting Russian former, IBF champ, Alexander Povetkin in late August, while Usyk, will be fighting English heavyweight journeyman, Dereck Chisora, while they, Joyce, and Dubois all wait for the opportunities at Joshua, Fury or whomever has the belts, after the end of this year.