JOE JOYCE and Joseph Parker have made another U-turn with their fight back on.
The pair were in negotiations to box each other having come face-to-face at Tyson Fury’s last fight in April.
But suddenly, Parker signed with Boxxer and Sky Sports, seemingly ending hopes of a BT bout against Joyce.
Promoter Frank Warren blasted the former WBO champion for scuppering their deal.
But now the fight is back on and set for September 24 on BT Box Office.
The heavyweights were first due to fight in July but Parker’s trainer Andy Lee was expecting a child, meaning it got scrapped.
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And in between negotiating a new date, Sky swooped in to sign the New Zealander.
Joyce, 36, later returned in July, beating Christian Hammer, 34, in four rounds of his keep-busy bout.
Bizarrely, Sky could not find Parker, 30, a worthwhile opponent in their own stable, with rival stars on separate networks.
So the Kiwi has now been sent over enemy lines where he will be the underdog as the away fighter on a Joyce and Warren show.
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Londoner Joyce is currently the WBO mandatory challenger for the title held by Oleksandr Usyk, 35.
But the Ukrainian is already tied down to a rematch with Anthony Joshua, 32, on August 20 in Saudi Arabia, following his win last year.
And even after the rematch, the winner is expected to then force Fury, 34, out of retirement for an undisputed decider.
Joyce is therefore left to play the waiting game but appears unwilling to do so against no-named opponents.
Parker won the title in 2017 but lost it to AJ a year later in his first defence.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
