What’s Next For Daniel Dubois?
Daniel Dubois’ withdrawal from the Joseph Parker fight rasies question marks over his next steps.
Dubois pulled out of his IBF Heavyweight Title defense against Parker because of medical grounds. Martin Bakole got the shot as he will face Parker in a WBO Interim Heavyweight Title Clash. The winner will become the WBO mandatory for Oleksandr Usyk. Dubois will be devastated since a win over Parker would have put him in a position to fight Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight title. But Dubois did the right thing since there was no reason for him to enter into the fight if he was not 100%. Parker also recognized that.
Dubois’ Withdrawal
“If he is ill, I hope he gets better soon and I’m looking forward to Saturday and having a great show. He did a sensible thing. If you’re sick, don’t fight. “There’s no point going out there and fighting your heart out and you’re not in the right physical shape. Go out there and fight when you’re at peak, top shape, top condition, and put on your best performance. Put your best foot forward and the one that everyone will remember,” Parker said
“He’s got a viral infection. Quite a few people have been getting it out here. I remember the last time when we went back from here [in December] a lot of people were ill over Christmas. You see some of these conspiracy theorists, you don’t know where their brains are sometimes if they’ve even got any,” Warren stated
What’s Next?
This naturally raises questions over what he will do next. It could very well turn out to be the perfect opportunity for him. He could jump straight into an undisputed fight against Usyk, who is expected to be back later in the summer. That is provided he has no IBF mandatory obligations to contend with.
There is also the opportunity to face Parker if he comes through the Bakole fight. Parker is one of the most in-form heavyweights in the division.
He has defeated Deontay Weiler and Zhilei Zhang in his previous two fights. Parker is also a former WBO Heavyweight Champion. He won the belt against Andy Ruiz, but he eventually lost his title against Anthony Joshua. There is also the alternative to face Bakole if he comes through Parker. Bakole is considered one of the most dangerous heavyweights in the division. He has consistently said that he hurt Joshua and Dubois in sparring, setting the narrative for a fight.
However, Bakole is a risky opponent since he has only had one defeat against Michael Hunter. He is also significantly heavier than Parker and Dubois, weighing in around over 300 pounds. He does not offer a belt, meaning that it is a risky move. His biggest win was against Jared Anderson in his last fight. He stopped the American to show he can upset the odds. But if the focus is on undisputed, Dubois must do what it takes to face Usyk.
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