In a surprising development, British heavyweight boxer Dillian Whyte has withdrawn from his scheduled bout against Joe Joyce, which was set for April 5, 2025, at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena, due to an injury. The news was first broken by George Glinski of Talksport.
Dillian Whyte boasts a professional record of 31 wins, 3 losses, and 0 draws, with 21 of his victories coming by knockout. Whyte has lost only to Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Alexander Povetkin.
His last fight saw ‘The Bodysnatcher’ defeat Ebeneezer Tetteh, in a bout that raised more questions than answers regarding what Whyte has left.
Joe Joyce is also on the slide, though. The man who once beat Joseph Parker and Daniel Dubois now has three losses to his name, with two devastating stoppages to Zhilei Zhang and a recent loss to Derek Chisora.
Whyte vs Joyce OFF
The Whyte vs. Joyce matchup was highly anticipated by boxing fans, especially given both fighters’ recent performances and standing in the heavyweight division, and seemed like a must-win fight in what would be Queensberry’s first event on DAZN.
With Whyte’s withdrawal now confirmed due to an injury, attention has turned to finding a replacement. Reports indicate that Jermaine Franklin has been contacted as a potential substitute to fight Joe Joyce, aiming to keep the event on track. The sudden cancellation of the fight has left many questions unanswered, particularly regarding the reasons behind Whyte’s withdrawal. As of now, neither Whyte nor his management team have released an official statement addressing the situation.
What’s next for Whyte and Joyce?
This development raises uncertainties about the future trajectories of both fighters. For Whyte, the withdrawal could impact his standing in the heavyweight rankings and potential future matchups. For Joyce, the focus will likely shift to finding a replacement opponent—potentially Jermaine Franklin—to maintain his fight schedule and momentum.
Joyce recently withdrew from his own fight against Patrick Korte, which was supposed to take place on Saturday.
Fans will be keenly awaiting further information regarding the circumstances of Whyte’s injury-induced withdrawal and the subsequent plans for both fighters.
The double header was also set to feature Lawrence Okolie vs Richard Riakporhe at heavyweight, and David Adeleye vs Jeamie TKV.
