Having inflicted Filip Hrgovic’s first pro loss on the Matchroom vs. Queensberry 5v5 card in Riyadh on June 1, Daniel Dubois has now been upgraded to become the full IBF heavyweight world champion after undisputed king Oleksandr Usyk had an extension request rejected and vacated – allowing Dubois vs. Anthony Joshua – two former foes – to box for world honours in three months’ time.
Usyk ever so gracious, Joshua-Dubois for IBF world title
Daniel Dubois vs. Anthony Joshua for IBF heavyweight world championship
Set to headline a stacked card on September 21, live at Wembley Stadium
Another all-British world title bout — CBS-Riakporhe at Selhurst Park, June 15
AS I reported back in April, two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua was being dangled as the prize in a compelling clash between Filip Hrgovic and Daniel Dubois on a busy Riyadh card earlier this month – with the IBF world title likely on the line, given how strict the sanctioning body are with their belt.
“Me and AJ, two London boys, fighting for the world title would be mad. That’s for my team to deal with, I am just training in the gym but it’d be a huge moment for me, a world title in London.”
- Dubois didn’t mask his excitement at that Joshua bout earlier this year
There will be an official press conference to unveil that bout, as well as potential others on the undercard, sometime tomorrow evening. Oleksandr Usyk has his sights geared towards a Tyson Fury rematch, pencilled in tentatively for the year’s end – December 21 – as the slick southpaw looks to go 7-0 against British opposition.
The road to this all-British affair feels a long time coming, with bumps in the road for both. Plenty questioned Dubois’ resolve and mental toughness after his unbeaten record was painfully wrestled away from him by the Joe Joyce jab four years ago, and questions over his defensive skills still remain after two gritty stoppage wins.
Dubois’ last five fights
June 2024: Filip Hrgovic, R8 TKO
December 2023: Jarrell Miller, R10 TKO
Aug. 2023: Oleksandr Usyk, R9 KO loss
Dec. 2022: Kevin Lerena, R3 TKO
June 2022: Trevor Bryan, R4 KO
Joshua’s last five
March 2024: Francis Ngannou, R2 KO
December 23: Otto Wallin, R5 retirement
August 23: Robert Helenius, R7 KO
April 2023: Jermaine Franklin, UD12
August 2022: Oleksandr Usyk, SD12
After his second-round stoppage win over Francis Ngannou, I asked Joshua at the post-fight presser whether he’d stay active, and while showing an unequivocal desire to do so, murmurs of a Joseph Parker rematch were mooted in the interim – especially when Zhilei Zhang vs. Deontay Wilder was first reported for June 1.
Parker, who won the WBO interim title with a MD12 win over Zhang on the Joshua-Ngannou undercard in March, said he was practicing patience when speaking to the Seconds Out podcast recently, as the Kiwi appears no closer to agreeing terms for an opportunity manoevuring him into a shot at full world honours again.
Dubois, long championed by Warren, will be an underdog against someone with far more championship experience but given how both Londoners have experienced widespread criticism after high-profile defeats, having less pressure could free him up to box sharper and hurt Joshua in ways recent opponents haven’t managed.
Warren hasn’t been shy in comparing the two, whether from their punch power or how the fight shapes up stylistically, and perhaps now is the best time to do it – any invincibility cloak has disappeared – jeopardy remains and Dubois is considerably younger, with more to prove and a much-improved team around him.
Picture source: Getty Images, quotes procured by me
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