Whyte vs. Joyce on April 5 in Manchester

Dillian Whyte (31-3, 21 KOs) will face Joe Joyce (16-3, 15 KOs) on April 5 in Manchester. The 12-rounder fight will be main-event on the card promoted by Queensberry Promotions.
David Adeley (13-1) will fight Jeamie Tshikeva (8-1) on same event, and Lawrence Okolie (21-1) will fight Richard Riakporhe (17-1).

Joyce, who was defeated by Derek Chisora in July 2024, returns on March 1 with a bout in Bournemouth against Germany’s Patrick Korte.

“I’m very excited,” said Joyce. “It’s going to be a big show of heavyweight boxing. I have a fight beforehand to get ready on March 1st and I’ll be coming steaming ahead for this fight and I’m really excited and up for the challenge.”

Asked whether he felt he could stop Whyte at Monday’s press conference, Joyce responded: “Yeah, that’s the best way to win a fight.”

“We’re going to have a big fight,” he added. “I’m going to punch you in the face; you’re going to try and punch me in the face and I’m gonna win at the end of the day. I’m confident in my ability… It is going to be an entertaining fight.”
Whyte, whose career has stalled in recent years after issues involving adverse findings with PEDs ahead of a scheduled return with Anthony Joshua, had two fights in 2024 – in Ireland and Gibraltar.
“It’s a big event – there’s a lot of big heavyweights up here,” Whyte said. “Joe Joyce said he’s going to knock me out on the 5th of April – we’ll see. Joe Joyce is going to put me to sleep but not by knocking him out because he’s fuckling boring.

“He’s the only man I know who can put coffee to sleep. Boring as fuck. Great fighter, but a boring guy… I just come to fight. I never said I was the best fighter in the world but I come to fight.”