Joe Ward set for return to action in New York next month

Moate boxer Joe Ward travelled to New York this week to continue preparations for his next professional fight, which is to be held in Madison Square Garden on Saturday, December 10.

Ward is taking on Frederic Julan, a 34-year-old New York-based Frenchman who has a record of 12 wins and one defeat (10 KOs).

The pair were originally due to face each other on the undercard of a Jake Paul fight in New York in August, but that event was cancelled when the headline bout fell through.

Next month's fight in the famous Manhattan venue will be on the undercard of a junior welterweight contest between American Teofimo Lopez and Puerto Rico's Jose Pedraza.

Ward told the Westmeath Independent he was very much looking forward to his return to the ring in just over four weeks' time.

"It's going to be a tough test but my training has been going very well. I'm expecting a really good performance and I'm looking forward to getting the win," he said.

The Ward-Julan fight will be over eight rounds and will be shown on the ESPN+ streaming service in the US.

After a very successful amateur boxing career, Ward turned pro in 2019. He has a record of seven wins and one defeat (4 KOs) as a professional.

Next month's contest will be the 29-year-old's second fight this year, after he recorded a fifth-round stoppage win against Mexican Oscar Riojas on the outskirts of Chicago at the beginning of April.