‘Juggernaut’ will remain in action on April 5 against another top contender in the heavyweight division.
With a knockout win over Joseph Parker, Joe Joyce was in fine form heading into 2023 where his momentum was brought to a sudden halt.
Whilst Joyce’s back-to-back KO defeats to Zhilei Zhang were predicted by the likes of Dillian Whyte, it completely derailed his title charge.
He has now won just one of his last four but with ‘The Villain’ also looking for some redemption, Joyce vs Whyte, despite the awkward promotion, promised to be a big all-British showdown in Manchester.
Unfortunately, Whyte withdrew from the bout this week due to an injured finger but a suitable replacement opponent has already been found and it’s another big test.
- READ MORE: 58-year-old former champion claims he’d beat Oleksandr Usyk in prime vs. prime fantasy fight
Joe Joyce to face Filip Hrgovic on April 5 in Manchester
Joe Joyce won’t be the only one who is looking to get back in the win column on April 5 in Manchester now that he has been matched with Filip Hrgovic.
The 32-year-old Croatian who medalled in the 2016 Olympics was 17-0 with 14 knockouts heading into the biggest fight of his career to date last June.
In the co-main event of the 5 vs. 5: Queensbury vs. Matchroom card, Hrgovic was stopped in the eighth round by Daniel Dubois who secured a huge clash with Anthony Joshua.
Hrgovic started well in the fight before being caught with a big shot but he will already know what to expect from his next opponent to some degree.
He first shared a ring with Joe Joyce back in 2013 where the two amateurs went toe-to-toe at York Hall in London with Joyce coming out on top via a split decision.
Now they will both face-off in a bid to prove that they still belong at the top of the heavyweight division despite some recent setbacks.
Moses Itauma was the name that fans wanted to see
When the news that Dillian Whyte was out of the fight came, fight fans on social media seemingly pushed for one specific opponent to step in.
People wanted to see Queensbury pull the trigger on 20-year-old prospect Moses Itauma who has continued to impress with each outing.
Having been named the Ring Magazine Prospect of the Year in January, Itauma last made the walk in December.
He stopped Demset McKean in just one round on the undercard of the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk rematch and whilst Filip Hrgovic is a very good replacement, this could’ve been a sink or swim opportunity for one of the division’s most exciting additions.