Queensberry have cancelled Saturday’s Paris boxing card after Lawrence Okolie returned an adverse drug test result, ending efforts to keep the event alive with a replacement opponent for Tony Yoka. The decision leaves Yoka without a scheduled fight and wipes out the full show just days before it was due to take place.
The card had been built around the heavyweight meeting between Okolie and Yoka, a bout that carried importance for both men. Okolie was looking for a needed win after an uneven spell since moving up, while Yoka was trying to continue the rebuild of his professional career.
Those plans changed when Queensberry confirmed the Paris event would no longer go ahead following the failed test involving Okolie. There had been brief talk of finding a late replacement for Yoka, with British heavyweight David Adeleye publicly stating he would be willing to step in if the terms were right.
That possibility has now ended with the full cancellation of the show.
The biggest immediate sporting setback may fall on Yoka. The 2016 Olympic gold medalist had been due to headline in front of a home crowd and use the fight as another chance to rebuild momentum after the most difficult stretch of his professional run.
Instead, he now returns to waiting for a new date and a new opponent.
The cancellation also affects the undercard fighters, trainers, and support teams who had prepared for the event and were only days away from competing.
Queensberry have yet to confirm whether any of the scheduled bouts will be moved to another date or card. For now, the Paris show is off, and the focus turns to what comes next for Yoka and the heavyweight division.
Click here to subscribe to our FREE newsletter
Related Boxing News:
Last Updated on 2026/04/21 at 11:19 AM
Read the full article here
