Joseph Parker is in line to face the winner of Oleksandr Usyk‘s rematch with Daniel Dubois.
Parker was set to face Dubois back in February, but the Brit fell ill during fight week and so withdrew, and he instead stopped late replacement Martin Bakole inside two rounds.
It rather put a pause on the good momentum Dubois had built up since his first loss to Usyk, starting with his stoppage win over Jarrell Miller back in December 2023. After that, he scored a TKO over Filip Hrgovic to become IBF interim champion, soon elevated to full champion, then defended the belt with a knockout win over former two-time champion Anthony Joshua in his last outing back in September.
Rather than rearrange the fight with Parker, who is himself on a good run after beating Zhilei Zhang and Deontay Wilder both on points, Dubois is instead going into an undisputed showdown with Usyk in July.
It will be the second time they face off after Usyk stopped the 27-year-old back in August 2023. There was an element of controversy to that win, however, as a shot that sent Usyk to the canvas was ruled low by the referee but strongly contested by team Dubois.
Speaking to Casino Sites, Parker gave Dubois his flowers but seemed to be siding towards Usyk should he be able to avoid the power of the Brit.
“You can never write Daniel Dubois off. After the first Usyk fight, the Jarrell Miller and Anthony Joshua fights he has become a man on a mission. He comes out and gives it everything he has. He has a good team behind him.
“However, Usyk is like a master who reads you, breaks you down, has good feints, footwork, and combinations. In the first fight he was very dominant until he got caught with that low blow. In the second fight, Usyk will come with his usual confidence because of how he did in his first fight, but he must be wary of Dubois as he is a powerhouse.”
As well as his claim to face Dubois, Parker is the mandatory challenger with the WBO and so will be first in line for a shot at the belt once the two champions settle their business.
