Daniel Dubois will make the second defence of his IBF World Heavyweight Title against Joseph Parker.
The 27-year-old Brit was elevated from interim to full champion after an impressive win over Filip Hrgovic before scoring the best victory of his career in his first defence, knocking Anthony Joshua out at Wembley Stadium.
With an immediate rematch off the table, Parker steps up as the deserving challenger after wins over big punchers Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang.
Speaking on Pro Box TV, former world champion turned analyst Paulie Malignaggi said Dubois must show something he hasn’t yet to beat Parker.
“You’re looking at a multi-layered fighter when it comes to Parker. Dubois is gonna have to show us something that we may not have seen. He’s got this reputation as an explosive fighter who can create highlight reel knockouts, but I think he’s gonna have to show some of the IQ, if there is any there. That’s gonna expose whether there is any or not.
If he’s able to beat Parker, then we’re gonna be able to check off another one of the boxes in terms of how we rate Dubois. He’s an even better level than we’ve given him credit for so far.”
Malignaggi then praised Parker as smart and tricky, saying he could see him racking up points and being ahead on the cards as the fight progresses.
“Parker’s an ex heavyweight champion. He’s just beaten Zhang and Wilder. He also went twelve with Joshua in a title fight at a time where Joshua was stopping guys in his best form. Parker was very crafty and tricky … He knows how to beat punchers, and even if he doesn’t beat them he knows how to deal with them so they have to earn their money.
I don’t think this fight is gonna be one of those where Dubois can just walk in and hit you on the noggin and knock you out … With Parker, you have to set it up in a way where he’s not making you pay and suddenly you find yourself behind on points and then you need a desperation knockout. Very curious about this fight. It could evolve in a lot of ways.”
