Unbeaten Heavyweight Dubois-Joyce showdown announced

Two large unbeaten heavyweights will be ready to square off in early April in London after an official announcement was made Friday for a Daniel “Dynamite Dubois vs. Joe Joyce showdown.

The fight had been rumored to be coming together for several weeks and promoter Frank Warren unveiled the date and the site for the two former amateur rivals to do battle:

#SeekAndDestroy presser ✅

We can't wait for April 11th ?@DynamiteDubois @JoeJoyceBoxing pic.twitter.com/50XOBB5zD6

— Frank Warren (@frankwarren_tv) February 7, 2020

Dubois is considered the rising star, as he is 14 – 0, 13 KOs at just 22 years of age.

Meanwhile, Joyce got a late start on his professional career and is actually 34 years old, but only 10 – 0 with 9 KOs since having won the 2016 Olympic Super Heavyweight silver medal from the Rio games.

Joyce used to use Dubois as a sparring partner leading up to those Olympics and now, they will fight professionally with a whole lot more on the line. The fighters appeared first, Friday on the “Good Morning Britain” television show trading barbs about who was going to knock out whom:

"Bring your sleeping bag Joe because you're going to sleep!" ?

Who are you and what have you done with Daniel Dubois?! ? #DuboisJoyce

? @GMB pic.twitter.com/FIgvQDFWjl

— Boxing on BT Sport ? (@BTSportBoxing) February 7, 2020

Then after more knockout insults we’re being lobbed back and forth during their press conference Friday afternoon,  it came time for the “promotional stare down.” And, the younger Dubois finally decided to spice things up and put his hands on Joyce shoving him away”

"Behave now boys"

Things get heated as Joe Joyce and Daniel Dubois face-off ahead of their long anticipated bout in April pic.twitter.com/A2JX4PISjQ

— The Sun – Boxing (@SunBoxing) February 7, 2020

The timing of the fight is interesting, as Warren is a rival promoter of Eddie Hearn and Matchroom boxing, who are most prominent promotional outlet over in the U.K. and Europe. However, Hearn has been unable to finalize the proposed upcoming fight for Unified Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and IBF number one mandated challenger, Kubrat Pulev. It had been believed that that fight would take place in late April or early May, but they’re still no official, despite the IBF giving Hearn and Matchroom two deadline extensions, so far to get the deal done.

It’s also believed that Hearn is trying to secure a matchup for former Olympic Heavyweight Gold Medalist and unbeaten Cruiserweight Undisputed champ Oleksandr Usyk for second fight as a professional at heavyweight to take on English Contender and former World Title challenger, Dereck Chisora.

Hearn has hinted repeatedly that that the potential Usyk-Chisora fight would be in March or early April, probably also in London.

And now that Du Bois – Joyce is announced for the 02 Arena, it may motivate Hearn and Matchroom even more, to get his deal done.