Joe Joyce (16-3, 15 KOs) was supposed to shake off the rust in the ring tonight and take on a bigger challenge in five weeks. However, the 2016 Olympic vice heavyweight champion's plans changed at the last minute.
Joyce was scheduled to defeat the relatively innocuous Patrick Korte (22-4-1, 18 KOs) tonight before crossing gloves with Dillian Whyte (31-3, 21 KOs) in Manchester on April 5. Priorities have changed, and while the anonymous German with the record seemed like an easy target, the Brit withdrew from the fight in the final stretch before the meeting, and is now focused solely on fighting Whyte in a few weeks.
There was no official reason for canceling tonight's fight, but it seems no one wanted to risk injury or a split decision.
