Daniel Dubois vs. Joe Joyce RESCHEDULED for July 11

By Boxing News - 03/17/2020 - Comments

By Allan Fox: Heavyweights Joe Joyce and Daniel Dubois will now be fighting on July 11 rather than April 11, according to Queensbury Promotions. They’ve been moved off their previously scheduled April 11th date at the O2 Arena in London, England due to the coronavirus.

Top Rank and MTK Global are following the measures/guidelines for the UK government and the British Boxing Board of Control in choosing to postpone the April 11th Dubois vs. Joyce card. This a safety move to protect boxing fans from being at risk in a large crowd while watching the fights on the card.

Boxing fans that already purchased tickets for the Dubois vs. Joyce event for April 11 will be able to use the tickets for the rescheduled fight on July 11. Refunds are available for fans as well.

The unbeaten 2016 Olympic silver medalist Joyce (10-0, 9 KOs) and Dubois (14-0, 13 KOs) will be scrapping it out for the vacant EBU heavyweight strap.

Recently, it was hoped that the Dubois vs. Joyce fight could remain untouched in its original scheduled date of April 11, but coronavirus has forced the fight to be postponed. By postponing it by three months, there’s a chance that it won’t be forced to be rescheduled again. We’ll have to see.

Joyce predicting a knockout win over Joyce

“He [Dubois] hasn’t had the experience so far. His career has been quite easy fights,” said Joyce to secondsout on Dubois. “Look at my record. Ex-world champions and ex-title contenders, and look at my experience as an amateur that’s going to be key. It’s age vs. experience. He’s a young hungry lion, and it’s going to be a tough fight, but that’s what people want to see. He’s a really strong kid, and I think he’s improving all the time.

“He knocks guys out, and he’s got dynamite in both hands. He’s moving in the right direction,” said Joyce on the young 22-year-old Dubois. “The right makes sense now. It’s a quite easy fight to make both being in the same stable, and we’re going to find out who’s number one. Late knockout, late stoppage by ‘The Juggernault’ Joe Joyce,” said Joyce in predicting a KO win over Dubois. “I can’t wait to knock him out,” said Joyce.

For Joyce to win this fight, he’s going to need to take a lot of heavy shots, and then look to take him out in the later rounds. Dubois looked tired in the second half of his fight against Kevin Johnson in 2018.

Warren predicting victory for Dubois

“I’ve got to be asked ‘who’s the best fighter out of Joe Joyce and Daniel,’ and at the moment I’d have to say, ‘Daniel’,” said promoter Frank Warren to secondsout. “I’m sure Sam Jones would say something totally different, but that’s how it is. There’s only one way the answer is going to be found out is when they meet. One of us is going to be wrong, and that’s for sure,” said Warren.

If Dubois wins, Warren will look like a genius for the way he’s matched him. But if Dubois, then boxing fans are going to wonder why he wasn’t matched better. People will also second-guess the decision to put the inexperienced Dubois in with Joyce at this still early stage of his career. Although Joyce doesn’t have a lot of experience either, but he’s 34 and he’s fought in the Olympics. That counts for a lot.

Dubois sees himself winning

“This is a massive fight in British boxing and world boxing,” said Dubois to secondsout in talking about his match against Joyce. “I think it’s Lennox Lewis and Gary Mason all over again. This is one of those career-defining fights. I feel like I’m the best. I’ve got the shaper jab, I’ve got the sharper punches, crisper shots, and the more accurate fighter. So I’ve just got to prove it on the night really.

“He’s a tough strong boy. He doesn’t look like the greatest of boxers. It’s a big fight, and definitely a big challenge. I think it’s big-time boxing again after my fight against Nathan Gorman. There will be a lot of publicity around that one, and I’ll come in there and step in with anyone.

“It’s a must-win fight for both of us, and it’s a fight where we’re breaking out of the domestic level really. You’re going to get a great fight for your money. Here we go,” said Dubois.

This is a massive fight or both guys. Dubois will be facing the first talented opponent of his career, both amateur at the pro level, and we’re going to find out if he can take it. If Dubois gets exposed in this fight, it’s going to look bad on his management. They’ve been spoon-feeding Dubois all these years without putting him in against a step-up level heavyweight.

Nelson picking Dubois over Joyce

“I go Dubois and the reason I go Dubois is that Joe Joyce gets hit too much,” said former cruiserweight champion Johnny Nelson to secondsout. “He can bang, he can punch and he’s a great athlete. He’s a very clever intellectual guy, but he gets hit too much.

“At heavyweight, one punch can change everything. You can’t afford to give shots away like that, but I know what he’s capable of doing. I know he can take a shot, I know he can dig a shot, but he gets hit too much. That’s the only thing that gives it away for me in my choice,” said Dubois.

What we don’t know about Dubois is whether his stamina will hold up if he gets caught in a war of attrition against Joyce. Thus far, Dubois has been knocking everyone out quickly, and not having to take his fights into the later rounds. If Joyce is able to drag Dubois into the deep waters by forcing him to fight into the 10th or 11th rounds, he could stop him.

Josh Taylor vs. Apinun Khongsong to be postponed

Additionally, the fight between IBF/WBA light welterweight champion Josh Taylor and IBF mandatory Apinun Khongsong will have their May 2 fight postponed until a still to be determined date.

Taylor (16-0, 12 KOs) and the unbeaten Khongsong (16-0, 13 KOs) were scheduled to fight on the 2nd of May at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland. MTK Global and Top Rank Boxing are working on finding a different date for the Taylor vs. Khongsong fight to take place.

When the fight is rescheduled, it’ll be the 29-year-old Taylor’s first contest since winning the Ali Trophy in beating WBA light welterweight champion Regis Prograis on October 26 last year in the World Boxing Super Series tournament in London. Taylor surprisingly out-slugged Prograis in beating him by a 12 round majority decision to win the tourney.

It was a good performance by Taylor, and he wanted to keep things going by taking on WBC/WBO 140-lb champion Jose Ramirez in a fight for the undisputed light welterweight championship. The International Boxing Federation threw a wrench in Taylor’s works by ordering him to defend against the 23-year-old Khongsong next. So Taylor needs to get this fight out of the way before he can take on Ramirez.