Fans expecting to see Joe Joyce return to the ring tonight were left disappointed as the British heavyweight was forced to withdraw from his scheduled fight against Patrick Korte.
The news came just hours before the bout was set to take place, raising questions about the future of Joyce’s plans.
This was meant to be Joyce’s first fight since his December defeat to Derek Chisora, a contest that followed back-to-back losses against Zhilei Zhang. The former WBO interim heavyweight champion had been looking to rebuild momentum after a difficult period in his career, but those plans have now been delayed.
Though he will now be forgoing his fight with Korte, which was meant to be a tune-up against the 22-4-1 opponent, he is still set to face Dillian Whyte in April, with some believing the withdrawal was a tactical move, as a defeat would mean Joyce is out of the headline fight.
Joe Joyce vs Dillian Whyte Fight Still Expected to Go Ahead
Despite Joyce’s withdrawal from tonight’s fight, his planned bout against Whyte is still expected to take place as scheduled.
Joyce and Whyte were set to face each other later this year in a significant domestic clash, with both men looking to re-establish themselves in the heavyweight division, after Whyte has bounced back from time out of the ring against Christian Hammer and, more recently, Ebeneezer Tetteh.
At this stage, no official reason has been given for Joyce’s withdrawal. Whyte is also coming off a period of inactivity after a failed drug test led to the cancellation of his rematch against Anthony Joshua in 2023.
With Joyce now missing an expected tune-up fight, questions will be raised about how this affects his preparation for Whyte. The fight will be a must-win for both men, who are undoubtedly in the closing chapters of their careers.
This punch could be Joe Joyce’s key to victory against Dillian Whyte
Whyte’s record is 31-3, losing only to Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, and Alexander Povetkin.
Whyte defeated Povetkin in their rematch, but it was clear that the fight had exposed a serious weakness of his.
Every fight he has lost has been by stoppage, and in every instance it has been with the same punch – an uppercut.
This could prove to be Joyce’s secret weapon when the pair meet in the Queensberry double-header, the first to be broadcast on DAZN.
