Church House Westminster hosted one of the biggest domestic boxing bouts of 2020.
On Saturday 28th November, Dubois vs Joyce took place at historic Church House behind closed doors. The fight was broadcast live on BT Sport and saw Joe ‘Juggernaut’ Joyce claim the British, European and Commonwealth heavyweight championship.
In an incredible reversal, the domestic heavyweight clash was not pay-per-view. Frank Warren, said: “This is about keeping boxing alive and relevant at a tough time and doing something for the fans.”
Frank Warren was keen to point out that the Covid outbreak and its negative effect on UK jobs and livelihoods were on his mind as he decided to scrap plans to make the fight pay per view. The blockbuster November event, branded with the apt tagline ‘At Last’, represented the final chapter in a saga that has seen April, July and October dates cancelled because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
On Saturday 5th December, boxing fans are in for another exciting evening of live boxing on BT Sport with Yarde vs Arthur facing off and this bout will again take place behind closed doors at Church House.
Frank Warren, said: “I’m delighted to be able to confirm such a spectacular venue to host two weeks of fantastic big-time boxing. It’ll be a more than fitting way to celebrate my forty years in professional boxing. Both these bouts are battles for the history books, so it makes sense they’d take place in a venue so rich in history. Winston Churchill announced the sinking of the Bismarck inside this venue, and soon we’ll know who out of these boxers will sink or swim.”
The Westminster venue’s largest event space, the Assembly Hall, took centre stage as the main studio. The Hoare Memorial Hall functioned as an interview and media room, whilst post-fight conferences took place in the Bishop Partridge Hall. A number of other rooms, also located on the first floor of the venue were utilised as flexible changing rooms, storage and staff quarters.
Inside the Assembly Hall, BT Sport presenters were joined by two-weight world champion Carl Frampton and former WBA heavyweight champ David Haye. Commentator boxes inside the Assembly Hall for live coverage featured radio sport pundit Steve Bunce.
The evening started at 6pm when the first of eight matches started off with the undercards which included Hamzah Sheeraz, David Adeleye and Jack Catterall.
Bradley Hill, Audio-Visual and Production Manager of Church House Westminster, said: “As a Covid-Secure venue in London, we’re extremely proud of our expert teams who have worked side-by-side with the organisers of this event to deliver this exceptional night for British heavyweight boxing. Our historic Grade II listed building offers a versatile space for unique and unusual events, which this event illustrates so perfectly. The impact of the pandemic on the events industry has been decimating. This live event may have taken place behind closed doors, but to us, it is very much a show and testament for all to see the resilience and innovation of our industry and its people”.
