Martin Bakole ahead of Anthony Joshua in race for Daniel Dubois’..

Joshua won’t get sanctioned for an IBF world title fight straight off the back of a defeat. Warren explained: “They aren’t going to allow him to do that. The IBF won’t allow that.”

If Dubois beats Parker, Warren will also explore a potential rematch with Oleksandr Usyk in a unification of all four of the major heavyweight world titles.

Warren believes that by the end of this year it will be Dubois, not Usyk, who is the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.

“If he comes through this, and fights Usyk,” Warren said of Dubois, “I do think [he will be].

AJ’s route back?

There is another route back to world level contention though for Anthony Joshua.

On the February 22 Sky Sports Box Office undercard, Zhilei Zhang fights Agit Kabayel for the WBC Interim heavyweight title. The Interim titlist would be in prime position for a mandatory challenge against Oleksandr Usyk, who holds the WBC as well as the WBA and WBO world championships.

But both Kabayel and Zhang would welcome a contest with Anthony Joshua, while they waited for that shot at Usyk.

“I’m ready, let’s go,” Kabayel told Sky Sports. “Everything is interesting. I’m the fighter.

“I’m a sportsman. I will only fight. It is what it is.”

Zhang is especially eager to box Joshua. The Chinese heavyweight lost to AJ at the London Olympics in 2012 when they were amateurs and today, all these years later, he still wants revenge.

“Everything is possible. The AJ fight is possible,” Zhang told Sky Sports, “but right now I just want to pay attention to Kabayel.

“February 22 has my whole focus. I’ll think about who’s next after I beat him.