Joyce and Whyte were gearing up for a big UK return. Whyte hasn't fought on home soil in over two years. His last major bout was a WBC heavyweight title fight loss to Tyson Fury at Wembley Stadium in April 2022. After that, he scraped by with a close win over Jermaine Franklin six months later.
Whyte's career hit a snag in August 2023 when he failed a drug test. That pulled him from a fight with Anthony Joshua. He's since bounced back with wins over Christian Hammer and Ebenezer Tetteh in the past year.
Joyce, on the other hand, has had a rough time lately. He lost his WBO interim heavyweight title in back-to-back knockout defeats to Zhilei Zhang in 2023. To make matters worse, he dropped a points decision to Derek Chisora in July 2023. These setbacks came after impressive stoppage victories over Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker earlier in his career.
Queensberry Promotions, who are putting on the event, will likely keep Joyce on the April 5 card. They'll be on the hunt for a new opponent to step in.
The Manchester event will still feature some heavyweight action. Lawrence Okolie and Richard Riakporhe are set to face off, and David Adeleye will take on Jeamie TKV.
This fight was meant to be a big comeback for both men. Joyce needed to shake off those losses, while Whyte was looking to re-establish himself in the UK scene. Now, we'll have to wait and see what's next for both fighters.