It’ll be alright on the night in Manchester, despite no Whyte being in sight. Sadly ‘The Bodysnatcher’ Dillian Whyte, had to pull out of his scheduled ring clash with Joe Joyce in the all-British heavyweight feature event at the Co-Op Live Arena on April 5, due to a finger injury. However, the show must go on and Joyce still gets his moment in the spotlight, as in steps Filip Hrgovic as Whyte’s replacement in the headline encounter. While no belts are on the table in Manchester, victory for either man would propel them up the heavyweight rankings and towards a potential future title shot.
Joe Joyce will be desperate to return to form and give a good impression after a tough period for the former Olympic silver medallist. His career was soaring following 15 straight wins that included KO successes against Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker. He would memorably claim the British, Commonwealth, and European heavyweight belts following his 2020 win over Dubois. However, the Juggernaut’s progression has ground to a shuddering halt following three defeats in his last four starts. Those losses came against Zhilei Zhang (twice) and Derek Chisora. This will be Joyce’s first appearance since that disappointing defeat to Chisora last July.
Although Joyce is lining up against a stand-in fighter, he hasn’t been handed an easy assignment. Croatia’s Filip Hrgovic may be coming off a defeat like Joyce, but he had racked up 17 straight wins over 6 years before that loss and that setback came against the current IBF world champ and his former sparring partner, Daniel Dubois.
Getty ImagesThis won't be the first time the ‘Juggernaut’ and ‘El Animal’ have met in the ring. Both had impressive amateur careers and made it to the Olympic medal podium at Rio 2016, with Joyce grabbing silver and Hrgovic bronze in the super heavyweight category. They didn’t cross glove during those Games though, but back in 2013, Joyce was victorious by split decision during a World Series of Boxing encounter at London’s York Hall.
The ‘Heavy Impact’ event in Manchester ushers in a new broadcast deal between Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions and global streaming service DAZN. As well as the Joyce vs Hrgovic feature, there’s more heavyweight action to savour as two Londoners, David Adeleye and Jeamie Tshikeva, go head-to-head for the British title. Further down the weights, British and Commonwealth super lightweight champion, Jack Rafferty, looks to extend his winning run to 26-0, when he fights fellow undefeated Brit, Corey O’Regan.
Let GOAL help guide you through all the essential info you need ahead of the Co-op Live action, including start times, how to watch, and who else is on the bill.
When is Joe Joyce vs Filip Hrgovic?
Date | Saturday, April 5 |
Location | Co-op Live, Manchester, UK |
Time | The DAZN show starts at 7 pm BST (2 pm ET) |
Main event ring walks (approx) | 10.30 pm BST (5.30 pm ET) |
The Co-op Live in Manchester is one of the UK's newest and largest world-class arenas. It's situated in the Etihad Campus next to the City of Manchester Stadium. Opened back in May last year, it has the largest capacity of any indoor arena in Europe, with 23,500 seats. The arena has plans to host around 120 events per year. In addition to boxing and live music, there are proposals to host a multitude of sporting events, including basketball, netball, tennis, esports, and gymnastics. Last October’s card featuring the Jack Catterall vs Regis Prograis fight was the first-ever boxing event to take place at the Co-op Live.
How to watch or stream Joe Joyce vs Filip Hrgovic
Joe Joyce vs Filip Hrgovic and the supporting card can be watched and streamed live in the UK, US & worldwide on DAZN. You can download the DAZN app for PC, Apple, Android, Fire TV, Roku, your Smart TV, and many others. You can subscribe to DAZN in the UK for £ 14.99 a month on a 12-month deal ($19.99 in the US), or subscribe to the flexible pass, worth £ 24.99 a month, which you can cancel anytime ($29.99 in the US). An annual (pay upfront) package is also available for £119.99 ($224.99 in the US), which offers the best value for money.
Watch Joe Joyce vs Filip Hrgovic from anywhere with a VPN
If Joe Joyce vs Filip Hrgovic isn't available to watch live in your area or if you're travelling, you can use a VPN to tune into the action from wherever you are. A VPN creates a secure connection to bypass geographical restrictions and access your favourite streaming services from anywhere. We recommend NordVPN if you're unsure which VPN to choose, but you can also check out our in-depth VPN guide to determine which one is best for you.
Joe Joyce vs Filip Hrgovic Fight Card
Weight class | Fight |
|---|---|
Heavyweight | Joe Joyce vs Filip Hrgovic |
Super lightweight (Commonwealth title) | Jack Rafferty vs Cory O'Regan |
Heavyweight (British title) | David Adeleye vs Jeamie Tshikeva |
Super lightweight | Khaleel Majid vs Alex Murphy |
Super featherweight | Royston Barney-Smith vs Cesar Ignacio Paredes |
Super lightweight | Mark Chamberlain vs Miguel Angel Scaringi |
Super lightweight | Alfie Middlemiss vs Alexander Morales |
Joe Joyce professional boxing stats
- Age: 39
- Height: 6ft 6ins
- Reach: 80"
- Total fights: 19
- Record: 16-3-0
- % wins by KO/TKO: 93
Filip Hrgovic professional boxing stats
- Age: 32
- Height: 6ft 6ins
- Reach: 82"
- Total fights: 18
- Record: 17-1-0
- % wins by KO/TKO: 82