Hrgovic steps in to face Joyce, replacing Whyte

Filip Hrgovic will serve as Dillian Whyte’s replacement against Joe Joyce on April 5.

Following Dillian Whyte withdrawing from his scheduled April 5 fight against Joe Joyce due to a hand injury, Filip Hrgovic will step in as the replacement opponent for Joyce as confirmed by Queensberry promoter Frank Warren.

“It’s a tough fight for both of them,” Warren told Ring Magazine. “It’s exactly the same as the fight he had before, Joe, against Dillian. The winner goes on, the loser is going to have to think about what he does.”

Hrgovic is most recently coming off a stoppage loss to Daniel Dubois last June and is looking to rebound to get himself back in the mix, the same as Joyce who most recently lost a unanimous decision to Derek Chisora last July.

Warren would add that while this is a tough fight for Joyce, he needs to earn a win over a credible opponent if he truly wants to get enough momentum to propel him towards a world title fight.