Should Daniel Dubois’ Next Step Be a Title Shot With Oleksandr Usyk?

Daniel Dubois beating Anthony Joshua for the IBF world heavyweight title was a surprise. People following online boxing news thought that Joshua would have been in line for a trilogy fight with Oleksandr Usyk with a victory. But Dubois’ power punching changed the equation.
Dubois, 27, now has many different avenues for his career. While a fight with Usyk is the sexiest matchup, the question is who the IBF would want him to defend the championship against. Dubois is an exciting fighter who has finished 21 of his 22 victories by knockout.
There are a lot of routes that could satisfy fight fans for what Dubois does next. The question is, which one is the most likely?
Should Joshua Get Another Shot?

Boxing isn’t like many other sports. It sometimes seems like no one knows what is actually in the contract. After Dubois knocked out Joshua, Eddie Hearn, who promotes Joshua, said that his fighter had a rematch clause and would likely look to exercise it. Dubois has publicly said that he wants to fight whoever would bring him back the most money.
The top boxing news online shows that people may be interested in seeing this fight run back. Both fighters are English. Joshua will be antsy to prove the last fight was a fluke.
Joshua was hoping to grab the IBF championship and fight Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight title. Instead, Dubois dominated, knocking Joshua down four times. The last time Dubois dropped Joshua, in the fifth round, Joshua didn’t find a way to get back up. What may give Dubois some pause about a rematch is how he dominated. There is some pressure on Joshua to retire. It is hard to know what the next step will be.
Is Usyk or Fury a Possibility?

It’s hard not to think that Usyk will beat Fury again in their rematch. While their first fight earlier this year was scored as a split decision, Usyk scored the only knockdown and was clearly the more active fighter. At heavyweight, there is always a chance that Fury can score an upset, but Usyk seems more motivated.
Fury is getting older and flirts with retirement and time away from fighting constantly. But Fury feels that after the last performance, he isn’t far away from getting revenge on Usyk. The boxing updates tonight show that Dubois will be chomping at the bit to fight Usyk again.
When Usyk and Dubois fought for the first time in August 2023, there was a major controversy in the fifth round. Dubois landed a stiff punch on Usyk’s beltline. Usyk went to the canvas.
Usyk fell to the canvas. Dubois thought he had won the fight, but the referee ruled it a low blow. Replays show the referee was right. Usyk would rally to knock out Dubois.
But the signs were pointing to Usyk dominating that fight. Usyk outlasted Dubois in every round. There was a nice moment after the fight where Usyk encouraged a still-steaming Dubois.
Usyk pointed out to Dubois that he was still young and could be a champion. If Usyk beats Fury again, it will be interesting to see if Usyk will grant Dubois another shot at his crown. Usyk, who moved up from cruiserweight to heavyweight, doesn’t seem to be afraid of any type of challenge.
Parker Could Make Sense
If fights with Fury and Usyk don’t materialize, Joseph Parker is a fight that could make sense for Dubois. For one thing, Parker is vocal about wanting to take on Dubois. Parker has won five consecutive fights, picking up wins over solid veteran fighters Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang.
Parker has made a career out of finding ways to handle the toughest power punches. Both Zhang and Wilder are known for their overwhelming heavy punches. Parker was able to give both of those men a lesson in boxing.
While fight fans love to see knockouts, Dubois attempting to crack the code that is Parker’s defense would be fun to watch. While Parker has been able to protect himself well recently, he has been knocked out before.
Zhang Is an Interesting Challenger
Zhang has carved out a fun career during his time as a heavyweight. Zhang, a native of China, started his career later than most professional fighters. He had his first professional fight in 2014, and Zhang, now 41, has made the most of his time in the ring.
Zhang bounced back from a tough loss by flattening Wilder during his last fight. It was a devastating knockout of another former champion. That’s something Dubois just accomplished himself.
Two heavy punchers could draw a nice gate. However, Zhang’s age and his relative lack of championship potential may not be a strong selling point. Zhang does one thing that a few of his heavyweight rivals don’t have.
Zhang knocked out Joe Joyce twice. Joyce was a heavy favorite the first time around, but Zhang had too much power for him.
British Heavyweights Have Ruled the World
The past eight years have been a fun time with British boxers. With Fury, Joshua and Dubois all in the top 10 right now, there haven’t been as many exciting local prospects coming up simultaneously in quite some time. While Usyk has all of their numbers right now, there is still plenty of time to change that.
With Dubois, it would be more fun to see him avoid having a rematch with Joshua, who he dominated, and get another shot at Usyk. However, Dubois has made it clear that he wants to take the fight that will pay him the most money.
Hopefully, the promoters will be able to get along for a small moment in time to make sure that he is able to get the fight that everyone wants to see.
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By Dean McHugh.