Three Warren Tournaments on DAZN: Heavyweight Clashes, Cacace, and Taylor’s Return
On February 10, Queensberry Promotions and DAZN unveiled their first joint events, marking a major collaboration. The British promotional powerhouse is kicking things off with three tournaments:
– April 5, Manchester – Dillian Whyte vs. Joe Joyce
– April, Glasgow – Josh Taylor vs. Ekow Essuman
– May 10, Nottingham – Anthony Cacace vs. Leigh Wood
Here's a closer look at the fights that will mark Queensberry’s DAZN debut.
A Heavyweight Blockbuster: Whyte and Joyce Battle for a Big Opportunity
The Manchester event on April 5 features a stacked card with four announced fights.
Delicious Orie, who recently signed with Queensberry, will make his professional debut.
David Adeleye (13-1, 12 KOs) faces Jamie Tkv (8-1, 5 KOs). Adeleye is coming off a stoppage loss to Fabio Wardley, while Tkv is riding a three-fight win streak, two by knockout. His sole decision victory was over Ukrainian Kostiantyn Dovbyshchenko.
Lawrence Okolie (21-1, 16 KOs) takes on Richard Riakporhe (17-1, 13 KOs). Riakporhe moves up to heavyweight following his loss to Chris Billam-Smith, while Okolie has already made a winning debut in the division, securing a first-round stoppage.
This bout could determine Derek Chisora's next opponent.
Whyte returned to the ring in 2024 after his doping controversy, scoring back-to-back stoppage wins over Christian Hammer and Ebenezer Tetteh. However, Joyce represents his first true test since the comeback.
Joe Joyce is stepping back into the ring after losing to Chisora, a defeat that had some questioning his future. Joyce has been vocal about not retiring, but to stay relevant and earn big paydays, he must beat Whyte.
On the other hand, a victory for Whyte could set up a third fight with Chisora. The two have fought twice before, with Whyte winning both times. Chisora recently named Whyte as a potential opponent while preparing for his bout against Otto Wallin.
Of course, Chisora’s camp will likely aim for an Anthony Joshua fight first, but Whyte remains a strong backup option.
Josh Taylor Hasn't Won Since 2022—Is This His Last Chance?
Josh Taylor was once an undefeated, undisputed champion, but his dominance crumbled after 2022. One by one, he lost his belts—except for the WBO title, which he eventually surrendered to Teofimo Lopez.
A year later, Taylor returned to face Jack Catterall, who had already pushed him to the limit in their first bout. This time, however, Catterall completely outboxed him, leaving Taylor with back-to-back losses.
Now, Taylor is set to face Ekow Essuman (21-1, 8 KOs)—a fighter who staged one of 2024’s biggest comebacks. In his European title fight against then-undefeated Owen Cooper, Essuman survived a ninth-round knockdown before scoring a dramatic tenth-round knockout to claim the EBU belt.
As of now, the exact date of Taylor vs. Essuman is yet to be confirmed.
Cacace Vacated His Title for This Fight
Anthony Cacace (23-1, 8 KOs) had an explosive 2024. He stopped Joe Cordina in the eighth round and followed it up with a decision victory over Josh Warrington.
In February 2025, Cacace made a bold move—vacating his IBF title in favor of what he called a more attractive fight. That fight? A showdown with Leigh Wood.
Leigh Wood bounced back after his loss to Mauricio Lara, winning the rematch and then knocking out Warrington in the seventh round.
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These tournaments are part of Queensberry Promotions' new deal with DAZN, ensuring exclusive global broadcasts on the streaming platform.