Dillian Whyte has reportedly cancelled his fight against Joe Joyce due to a finger injury. The two boxers were due to go head-to-head at the Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester on Saturday, April 5.
Whyte and Joyce were supposed to headline a bill that included a fight between ex-cruiserweight world champion Lawrence Okolie and Richard Riakporhe. But Whyte’s finger problem means he will be unable to take to the ring. Joyce is still set to fight on the day but will now need to find a new opponent.
According to The Sun, Whyte has cited an inflamed finger for his decision to withdraw from the bout.
And a source close to Joyce told the publication: “It’s gutting for Joe. He has trained as usual incredibly hard for this and Dillian was an ideal opponent.
“If there is one thing British boxing fans know about Joe, it’s that he will fight anyone and, thankfully, there are lots of good heavyweights out there.
“Joe has no interest in dropping below world level, so Filip Hrgovic, Jarrell Miller, the Daniel Dubois rematch – Joe will take on anyone.”
Whyte has enjoyed a distinguished career and has fought the likes of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in the past. He was denied a rematch with Joshua in 2023 after he failed a Voluntary Anti-Doping Association test, but was then cleared to resume his career after an investigation concluded the positive result had been caused by a contaminated supplement.
He last featured in the ring in mid-December when he took on Ebenezer Tetteh in Gibraltar. The 36-year-old claimed victory when he halted Tetteh at the end of the seventh round.
Joyce, meanwhile, has lost three of his previous four fights since winning the WBO interim heavyweight title against Joseph Parker two-and-a-half years ago. He was last in action at the end of last July when he was beaten by Derek Chisora after a unanimous points decision.
Whyte’s withdrawal comes after Daniel Dubois pulled out of his showdown with Joseph Parker just days before it was due to take place.
That fight was scheduled to go ahead in Riyadh on Saturday, February 22, with Dubois’ father later explaining: “Fight week was going well until he became ill. Everything was perfect, then he started feeling unwell a couple days before.
“He had a virus. He had swollen glands and an ear infection so the doctor told him, ‘I wouldn’t fight if I was you.’ He said, ‘You can fight, but after three rounds you’ll be feeling it.’
“He’s had these problems before – swollen glands, viral infection. It’s been happening for about eight years and they usually last three or four days, but he’s been alright after that. With this it was just bad timing that it happened two days before the fight. Obviously it was very frustrating for him and us.”
