Poxon Sports and PBC are delighted to announce that heavyweight sensation Joe Joyce will defend his Commonwealth title in the biggest test of his unbeaten career when he takes a gigantic leap up to confront the Former WBC World Champion Bermane Stiverne on February 23 at The O2, exclusively live on ITV Box Office.
Joyce vs. Stiverne, promoted by Poxon Sports in association with Ringstar Sports and Don King Productions, will feature alongside the return of Former IBF World Featherweight Champion Lee Selby as one of the chief-supporting contests on an action-packed show, headlined with the thrilling all-British clash between fierce rivals James DeGale and Chris Eubank Jr.
The last time we saw Stiverne was November 2017 when Wilder stopped him in one round. However, Stiverne is ready to get back to the top of the sport.
The fight has added bad blood thrown in resulting from a sparring session between Joyce and Stiverne in which Joyce was angered by comments from Stiverne in an interview afterwards when he said he took Joyce to school.
“I told my promoter Don King to get me any man on earth and I will fight for the right to prove myself to the world,” Stiverne said. “Then the phone rings, it’s Don, he tells me Joe Joyce – a boxer with only seven bouts – agrees to meet me! ‘Seven bouts?’ Seven fights and he has the audacity to box me? I have stopped Chris Arreola, Ray Austin, the then undefeated Kerston Manswell – and a boxer with seven fights wants to box me?!.’ I said to Don ‘Sign it, take it, grab it,’ I’m ready. Seven fights – and he wants to box me? For me it is a dream come true – but for Joyce it will be a nightmare. I will knock out Joe Joyce and step over him to KO Anthony Joshua. I’m primed and ready. The real Bermane Stiverne will be there on February 23 and will knock out Joe Joyce en route to regaining my heavyweight crown.”
Stiverne is now looking to return to the elite heavyweight mix and a victory over Joyce would propel him back into the limelight and on course towards a potential world title opportunity.
Joyce, now ranked #5 in the world by the WBA and progressing quickly towards a World Title shot, faces unquestionably his sternest career test to date against the vastly experienced and equally big-hitting Las Vegas based Haitian who has knocked out 21 opponents of his 25 wins in his 29 fight career.
