Disappointment for Joe Ward as homecoming fight in Dublin is off

There was disappointing news for Joe Ward this week, with the cancellation of an upcoming show at which he was due to box in Ireland for the first time as a professional.

The 29-year-old Moate man had been lined up to appear on a night of boxing headlined by Limerick's Paddy Donovan at the National Stadium in Dublin on Saturday, September 23.

The promoters of the event, Elite Sports Promotions, have now announced it will not be going ahead.

The promoters said efforts were being made to fix a new date for the event, and that refunds would be offered to those who had bought tickets.

Ward had been looking forward to his first pro fight in Ireland and he was "devastated" when he found out it would not be happening.

He is currently in New York, having travelled there for a training camp ahead of the planned Dublin contest.

The local man turned professional in 2019, and has a record since then of nine wins (5 KOs), and one defeat, which was caused by a freak knee injury in his pro debut and was subsequently avenged.

He is planning to meet with his management team in the coming days to plan the next step in his career.