Joyce-Dubois Heavyweight Contender showdown moved to July

As the Coronavirus continues to impact the globe, boxing cards are being postponed or shuffled seemingly by the hour. However, there is good news on a big British heavyweight Showdown will be moved.

The proposed April 11th battle between Unbeaten heavyweights Daniel “Dynamite” Du Bois and Joe Joyce has now been pushed back to later this summer. The official announcement came from London based promoter Frank Warren and Queensbury Promotions Tuesday afternoon:

? NEW DATE ?

The huge heavyweight clash between @DynamiteDubois and @JoeJoyceBoxing has been moved to July 11th at @TheO2.

? Any tickets already purchased will remain valid for the new date.#SeekAndDestroy #DuboisJoyce pic.twitter.com/K7okHe3p1p

— Frank Warren (@frankwarren_tv) March 17, 2020

The announcement comes on the heels of the British Board of Boxing of Control announcing earlier Tuesday that all fights for March and April are now unable to be held due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

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 in July.

Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn is also still hoping to hold their June 20th Unified Heavyweight title defense for Anthony Joshua against IBF top Contender Kubrat Pulev at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but it may also have to be moved to July.

This is not only due to the Coronavirus, but also potentially the resumption of the English Premier League soccer schedule and that primary tenant Tottenham Hotspur soccer club may need use of the stadium that weekend in an adjusted schedule.

We also await the status of Hearn’s other Heavyweight showdown with unbeaten former Cruiserweight Champ Oleksandr Usyk scheduled to meet British KO artist Dereck Chisora on May 23rd in the same O2 arena. That fight is still on, for now, but could also have to be moved back.

Usyk, 17-0, 13 KOs, won his first heavyweight bout last October against 38-year-old last-second replacement Chazz Witherspoon in Chicago by 7th round TKO. The fight with Chisora, 32-9, was originally being discussed as a March or April date, but then, Usyk reportedly suffered a slight elbow injury in training that has delayed things.

Joshua has been mandated by the WBO to fight Usyk next, after Pulev this summer.

Now, the hope is there won’t be another delay for Usyk’s fight to further jumble the May-July schedule for the Heavyweights.