A look ahead to Joe Ward's fight in Madison Square Garden tonight
Joe Ward will step back into the spotlight on one of boxing's most famous stages when he laces up the gloves at Madison Square Garden in New York tonight (Tuesday).
In his fifth professional outing, the 27-year-old Moate man will face American Tory Williams in a light heavyweight bout scheduled for six rounds.
The fight, at the Theater adjacent to the main Garden arena, is part of the first night of boxing in New York City since the pandemic began.
Who is Joe's opponent?
Tory 'The Humble Beast' Williams is the owner of a gym in the Southern US State of Louisiana, which is where all six of his professional fights to date have taken place.
Williams has an unbeaten record, with five wins and one draw, but he has not yet faced an opponent of Ward's calibre. He is also returning to the ring after a lengthy absence, with his last fight taking place in June 2019.
When did Joe box last?
Ward's last fight was in March, when he earned a unanimous decision victory over Marco Delgado in Puerto Rico.
In beating Delgado, he avenged the second round TKO defeat when he suffered a freak knee injury in his pro debut, also at Madison Square Garden, in October 2019.
When is the fight starting?
It's believed that Joe will be stepping into the ring somewhere between 6pm and 6.30pm New York time, which is between 11pm and 11.30pm Irish time.
Can we watch it online?
The boxing is being shown on the FITE streaming platform. The coverage is free, but you do have to register on the website or download the FITE TV app for free on your phone.
However, the FITE TV coverage is due to start at 7pm local time, or midnight Irish time, at which stage Joe's fight will most likely be over.
The information we've received is that Joe's fight will be taped and shown, either in full or highlights, as part of the FITE coverage.
Replays on the FITE TV app are also due to include Joe's fight in its entirety, and those replays will begin immediately after the show ends.
This means that, at worst, Joe's supporters should be able to watch his fight on the app when they wake up tomorrow morning.
The main event at tonight's show features US heavyweight contender Michael Hunter taking on Mike Wilson.