With a big showdown booked for October 24th, British heavyweights Daniel Dubois (pictured) and Joe Joyce will take interim fights this summer. Joyce (24-2 which includes pro fights in AIBA's World Series of Boxing) meets Germany's Michael Wallisch (20-3, 13 KOs) on Saturday July 25th in a non-title ten rounder.  Dubois (14-0, 13 KOs), the British and Commonwealth champion, will battle former German Olympian Erik Pfeifer (16-2, which also which includes the World Series of Boxing) on Saturday August 29th at BT Sport studios as part of Frank Warren’s summer series. Russian-born Pfeifer, 33, turned professional in September 2018. He last fought in November, and got a win when Adnan Redzovic retired after five rounds. The Hamburg man represented Germany at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. He won a bronze medal at the 2011 World championships losing against Anthony Joshua in the semi-final. Two years later he claimed another World championship bronze. He also boxed in the World Series of Boxing and defeated French star Tony Yoka. Pfeifer has also been crowned the super heavyweight (91+ kg) championship in AIBA Pro Boxing (APB) .

 

Dubois, 22, said: “The delay until October for the fight against Joe has given me more time to get things right and the Pfeifer fight is a bonus. It’s a shame that fans can’t attend, but I’m not moaning. A lot of fighters aren’t going to get work for months.  Hopefully Joe does the business on Wallisch and we give fans something to look forward when we finally meet later in October. It’s great to have an outing so I can blow away the cobwebs. When fight night comes it will have been more than seven months since my last contest. I’ve never had a layoff that long since I started boxing. I want to deliver a big performance and then it will be all systems go to KO Joe in October.”

 

Dubois warned: “Everyone knows how serious I am. Throughout the lockdown I haven’t stopped training at home with my brother and sister. There was no messing. As soon as we were allowed to go into the gym I was back with my trainer Martin Bowers, and being in a familiar environment makes things more comfortable. Frank Warren told me a while back there might be a chance of a fight on a TV studio show, and when the chance came I didn’t hesitate. Pfeifer has come along at relatively short notice, but we have more than enough time to prepare.”

 

And with the Pfeifer fight his biggest immediate concern, there will be little thought of Joyce for now. “It is no concern of mine how he looks in his warm-up. I just have to concentrate on myself and not worry about his performance.”