DUBOIS HAPPY TO WAIT TO KO JOE

DANIEL DUBOIS reckons the behind closed doors showdown against Erik Pfeifer will be ideal preparation for his showdown against Joe Joyce.

The British and Commonwealth Heavyweight champion was due to face Joyce this month, but the date at London’s O2 has been pushed back to Saturday October 24 at the same venue because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To keep busy Dubois (14-0, 13KOs) defends his WBO International championship against Germany’s Erik Pfeifer (7-0, 5KOs) on Saturday August 29 at BT Sport studios as part of Frank Warren’s summer series.

Joyce (10-0, 9 KOs) meets Pfeifer’s stable mate Michael Wallisch (20-3, 13KOs) on Saturday July 25 in a non-title ten rounder giving the arch rivals an opportunity to sharpen up ahead of the much anticipated autumn showdown.

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.”

Russian-born Pfeifer, 33, turned professional in September 2018. He last fought in November, and picked up the WBO European crown 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) .

He will provide a good test, but Dubois warned: “Everyone knows how serious I am.

 “Through 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.”

Further attractions on the August 29 show include British super flyweight champion Sunny Edwards (14-0) defending his IBF International title against the former Commonwealth champion and Cameroon Olympian Thomas Essomba (10-5).

Liverpool’s Sam Maxwell (13-0) will defend his WBO European super lightweight title against former European champion and British title challenger Joe Hughes (17-5-1) from Malmesbury.

Former world amateur champion Willy Hutchinson (10-0) takes on the experienced ex-Commonwealth champion Luke Blackledge (26-9-2), with 2016 Olympian Muhammad Ali (1-0) from Bradford having his second professional encounter.