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Anthony Joshua in huge boost to fight for world title he has NEVER won… but why it all depends

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Anthony Joshua in huge boost to fight for world title he has NEVER won… but why it all depends on Daniel Dubois

ANTHONY JOSHUA could finally get the chance to fight for the WBC title – but it all depends on Daniel Dubois.

Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker face off at a press conference.
Daniel Dubois defends his IBF title against Joseph Parker

Joshua, 35, has twice held the unified WBA, IBF and WBO versions of the belts – but never the iconic green and gold WBC.

The strap is currently held by Oleksandr Usyk, 38, after he took it from Tyson Fury, 36, and then defended it in his pair of points wins last year.

But he had to vacate the IBF title to proceed with his December rematch with Fury – which he won via disputed decision.

Dubois, 27, was meanwhile elevated from interim champion to the full version – knocking out AJ in his first defense in September.

Oleksandr Usyk shaking hands with Daniel Dubois after a boxing match.
Oleksandr Usyk could fight the winner between Dubois vs Parker

He now puts it on the line against Joseph Parker, 33, on Saturday night in Riyadh – with Usyk in line to fight the winner.

That would make it for all four undisputed belts again – so Agit Kabayel and Zhilei Zhang contest for the interim version on the undercard.

Winning that trinket title automatically puts the winner in line to challenge for the full version or be elevated in the event of the champ being stripped.

And WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman is open to Joshua fighting for the WBC interim belt this year against either Zhang, 41, or Kabayel, 32.

Sulaiman told SunSport: “Very possibly Anthony Joshua could fight the winner and then the winner would be the interim champion.

“What we’re trying to do is to give the fans the best fights possible.

“We are administering within our rules that give us plenty of room to be ordering or managing the divisions for the benefit of the industry

“So that is a very doable thing if Anthony Joshua is to fight the winner of Kabayel-Zhang – absolutely it would be an WBC interim title fight.”

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Tony Bellew Has No Doubt Who He Now Rates Higher Between Fury And..Read More

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Tyson Fury vs Daniel Dubois

Tony Bellew Has No Doubt Who He Now Rates Higher Between Fury And Dubois: “He’s The Best After Usyk”

Daniel Dubois recently joined Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury at the top table of British, and indeed world, heavyweights.

The 27-year-old bounced back from a loss to Oleksandr Usyk, his first world title tilt, with three statement stoppages wins over Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Joshua.

Having been elevated to IBF World Champion when Usyk vacated the belt, on paper it would seem that Dubois is now the second best in the world after the Ukrainian has absolutely secured the top spot with wins over all three Brits mentioned – twice against both Fury and ‘AJ.’

READ MORE:Evander Holyfield Didn’t Hesitate To Name Who Would Have Won Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua..

However, speaking to Fightlens, former cruiserweight world champion turned pundit Tony Bellew believes Fury’s performances in his fights against Usyk still make him number two.

“I think both are amazing fighters. Tyson Fury will be back 100%, if he wants to, that is. And I think he’s the second-best heavyweight in the world.

Tyson Fury

Fury lost via split decision in the first bout with Usyk and unanimously in the rematch, however believes he did enough to win both contests. With that sour taste, he recently announced his retirement from the sport of boxing at the age of 36.

It leaves a lucrative and long-awaited bout with Joshua on the table – many feel the announcement that he will hang up the gloves is a bargaining chip on Fury’s part and that the fight will still be made at one point this year.

Though Dubois has a tough test in Joseph Parker next month and then his sights firmly set on a rematch with Usyk for the chance to become undisputed champion, he has also expressed an interest in facing the winner of Fury vs Joshua should it happen.

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Daniel Dubois Rules Out Anthony Joshua Rematch As He Names His Next..Read more

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Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois

Daniel Dubois Rules Out Anthony Joshua Rematch As He Names His Next 2 Opponents After Parker

It seems as though Daniel Dubois has moved from the idea of giving Anthony Joshua a rematch.

The 27-year-old is the current IBF world heavyweight champion and he defended that status in emphatic fashion back in September in front of a record-breaking crowd at Wembley Stadium.

In the opposite corner was ‘AJ’, the former two-time world champion who was knocked down at the end of the first round and never really recovered. In the fifth, Joshua threatened to get a foothold in the contest only to be caught on his way in by a short, sharp right hand from Dubois that sent him to the canvas, at which point the referee counted him out.

There was talk of an immediate rematch in the aftermath, though Joshua then decided to bide his time and recover from a few small injuries. For now, Dubois has moved on to a second defence versus Joseph Parker on February 22.

READ MORE:Oleksandr Usyk Names The ‘Dangerous’ Fighter Who Hit Him Harder Than Joshua..

Now, DAZN’s Ade Oladipo has revealed that ‘DDD’ has named his three-man hit-list in a recent interview

Should Dubois beat Parker, he may well lure current three-belt champion Oleksandr Usyk into an undisputed fight some time later in the year. Meanwhile, Martin Bakole is set to face Efe Ajagba in an IBF final eliminator this May, with the winner becoming Dubois’ mandatory challenger. Fans will welcome Dubois taking both fights and continuing to test himself against the very best as a champion should.

Anthony Joshua / Daniel Dubois

As for Joshua, he had hoped to get a legacy-defining fight with long-time British rival Tyson Fury, but Fury announced his retirement at the start of January, so for now, that one is also up in the air.

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

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Anthony Joshua & Daniel Dubois

Martin Bakole ahead of Anthony Joshua in race for Daniel Dubois’ world title fight, says promoter Ben Shalom

Daniel Dubois defends the IBF world title against Joseph Parker on February 22 on Sky Sports Box Office; Martin Bakole is due to box Efe Ajagba in a final eliminator for that belt in May; Winning would put him “front of the queue” ahead of Anthony Joshua says promoter Ben Shalom

Dubois scored a stunning victory when he knocked out Joshua, a former unified titlist, at Wembley Stadium last year.

Next Dubois will be making a voluntary defence of the IBF belt against New Zealand’s in-form Joseph Parker on Saturday February 22, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

After that Dubois will have to either contest a world championship unification or make a mandatory defence of the belt.

Bakole will box Efe Ajagba in May in order to become the mandatory challenger for the IBF title.

READ MORE:Martin Bakole vs Efe Ajagba eliminator for Daniel Dubois’ IBF heavyweight..

Ben Shalom, Bakole’s promoter, told Sky Sports: “Martin can’t be avoided any longer. If he beats Efe Ajaba in May, he will be mandatory challenger to fight for the IBF world title, and we will be looking to enforce that mandatory immediately. He will be front of the queue and that fight will have to happen.”

He added: “Martin is the most feared man in the heavyweight division and with good reason. He will be keeping a close eye on the Dubois-Parker fight, and whatever the outcome, I know Martin will be confident of taking the title when his time comes.”

“If it’s not Fury, it’s just the world heavyweight championship. It’s Daniel Dubois against Joseph Parker,” Hearn previously told Sky Sports.

“AJ’s going to fight again regardless of who he fights. I think he didn’t take the defeat well, which is good. You should never take defeat well. But particularly over the last couple of weeks, he’s got his mojo back. He’s ready to start training camp.”

Anthony Joshua / Daniel Dubois

Hearn continued: “But the focus was always Tyson Fury and the Daniel Dubois rematch. I’m not so sure Daniel Dubois beats Joseph Parker. You’ve got the winner of that fight or somebody else.

“Really at this stage of your career you want the biggest fights and you want to try and become three-time world heavyweight champion.”

Warren: Joshua must win a fight

Though Dubois’ promoter Frank Warren points out that if Joshua wants to put himself in a position to challenge the February 22 winner he needs to make himself eligible. First AJ has “got to go and win a fight,” Warren told Sky Sports

 

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Eddie Hearn insists ‘only one man can beat’ Oleksandr Usyk after laying waste..

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Daniel Dubois vs Oleksandr Usyk

Eddie Hearn insists ‘only one man can beat’ Oleksandr Usyk after laying waste to Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois

Oleksandr Usyk has barely put a foot wrong during his unblemished 23-0 professional career – but Eddie Hearn believes one man could push him all the way.

The Ukrainian slickster is the current pound-for-pound king of boxing and is one of only three male fighters in the four-belt era to achieve undisputed supremacy in two separate weight classes (alongside Naoya Inoue and Terence Crawford).

Oleksandr Usyk has barely put a foot wrong during his unblemished 23-0 professional career – but Eddie Hearn believes one man could push him all the way.

READ MORE:Martin Bakole vs Efe Ajagba eliminator for Daniel Dubois’ IBF heavyweight..

The Ukrainian slickster is the current pound-for-pound king of boxing and is one of only three male fighters in the four-belt era to achieve undisputed supremacy in two separate weight classes (alongside Naoya Inoue and Terence Crawford).

But the masterful technician proved his doubters wrong by outclassing the Watford powerhouse in back-to-back bouts.Usyk then laid waste to the fast-rising Daniel Dubois before taking on WBC champion Tyson Fury in May 2024 for the undisputed crown.

Oleksandr Usyk & Eddie Hearn

‘The Cat’ edged their epic inaugural encounter via split decision and subsequently widened the margin in their rematch seven months later.

In between the two fights, Usyk was forced to relinquish the IBF title to Dubois in order to pursue his rematch with Fury.

However, Hearn believes lineal cruiserweight king Jai Opetaia has the best chance of beating him.

“I’m looking down the road, Jai is humble,” Hearn told ESNEWS after Opetaia’s recent blowout of David Nyika.

He’s committed to the cruiserweight division but for me one of the best of all time was Usyk, he became undisputed, moved up and became undisputed at heavyweight.

“The medium focus right now is every belt in the division and the long-term focus is to fight Usyk for the unified heavyweight world championship.

“I believe he is the only fighter who can give Usyk a real fight over the next 12-18 months.”

Opetaia is the consensus best fighter at 200lbs and is currently in possession of the IBF and Ring Magazine titles.He won the belts by dethroning former cruiserweight leader Mairis Briedis in 2022 and has been chasing unification fights to no avail ever since.

The expectation is that he will eventually move up to heavyweight once he has conquered his weight class.

But Usyk, now 38, will likely be retired by the time he steps up.

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Martin Bakole vs Efe Ajagba eliminator for Daniel Dubois’ IBF heavyweight..

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Martin Bakole vs Efe Ajagba

Martin Bakole vs Efe Ajagba eliminator for Daniel Dubois’ IBF heavyweight world title set for May in the USA

Martin Bakole is slated to fight Efe Ajagba in May in the USA; The IBF has ordered Bakole vs Ajagba as the final eliminator for Daniel Dubois’ world championship; Dubois is making his next defence of the IBF belt against Joseph Parker on February 22, live on Sky Sports Box Office

Watch Martin Bakole’s incredible stoppage in round three against Ihor Shevadzutskyi in an alternative angle that wasn’t seen on fight night
Bakole will box Efe Ajagba in the USA to become the mandatory challenger for the IBF heavyweight title.
The Congolese contender has previously boxed in Los Angeles when he stopped highly touted prospect Jared Anderson

“You don’t stand with Martin Bakole. I am a big man and I am a machine,” he declared after that win. “No one wants to fight me.

“I’m a machine. I’m in this sport to take over. I want to be No

Ejagba has only lost once in his professional career and has been on a five-bout winning run since his 2021 defeat to Frank Sanchez. Most recently Ejagba overcame Guido Vianello, an Italian Olympian.

Bakole has long been highly ranked and is pushing to force a shot at Dubois’ title. The IBF has ordered Ajagba, as the next available rated contender, to box Bakole in that final eliminator.

Dubois, who knocked out Anthony Joshua in stunning fashion last year, makes the next defence of his belt on February 22, live on Sky Sports Box Office, when he takes on in-form opponent Joseph Parker.

Bakole versus Ejagba is slated for a May card in America staged by boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh.

He also intends to bring back Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney in separate bouts.

Daniel dubois

Garcia’s bout with Haney last year was rendered a no contest after he tested positive for performance enhancing drugs.

The New York State Athletic Commission banned Garcia for a year, but he would be eligible to box again by May.

A contest with Rolando Romero is earmarked for him while Devin Haney, who has not boxed since his punishing fight with Garcia last April, is set to fight a former world champion, Jose Ramirez on that May card.

Watch Daniel Dubois vs Joseph Parker, Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol 2 and more on February 22 live on Sky Sports Box Office.

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Martin Bakole Has No Doubt Who Wins Daniel Dubois vs Parker: “I Know His..

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Daniel Dubois vs Joseph Parker

Martin Bakole Has No Doubt Who Wins Daniel Dubois vs Parker: “I Know His Weakness From Sparring

Martin Bakole will be a keen observer when Daniel Dubois takes on Joseph Parker next month.

Parker and Dubois are two of the form men in the banner division. Dubois is the current IBF champion having been elevated after his knockout win over Fillip Hrgovic last June. That came just months after he also stopped the huge American Jarrell Miller in December 2023.

Most recently, he knocked out Anthony Joshua in destructive fashion in September to retain his belt, and now he faces former WBO champion Parker on February 22.

READ MORE:Eddie Hearn Makes Emphatic Daniel Dubois vs Joseph Parker Prediction..

Parker’s last two outings have been impressive points wins against big punchers – first, he beat Deontay Wilder in late 2023, then Zhilei Zhang in March last year.

The pair square off on a huge bill that is headlined by Artur Beterbiev‘s undisputed light height rematch with Dmitry Bivol.

One fighter who would love to face the winner of Dubois versus Parker is Bakole, the man who calls himself the most avoided heavyweight on the planet.

Speaking to talkSPORT Boxing, he was asked who he thinks will win.

“I think Joseph Parker. Daniel Dubois he can box, he did well against Joshua, he’s the champion, much respect to him, but Joseph Parker his level is above, his boxing brain, his movement. I think he will give him a hard time.”

He then backed himself to beat whoever comes out on top.

“I have sparred both of them and I know their weakness and I know how to knock them out.”

Bakole stopped Carlos Takam and highly touted American Jarod Anderson in his last two fights. Next up is a contest with Efe Ajagba for the right to become the mandatory challenger for the IBF belt.

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Whyte knocks Joshua over Dubois rematch..

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Anthony Joshua / Daniel Dubois

Whyte knocks Joshua over Dubois rematch snub

Former heavyweight title challenger Dillian Whyte has criticised Anthony Joshua for not pursuing an immediate rematch with Daniel Dubois following his devastating knockout loss at Wembley Stadium last September, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

“He made a huge mistake not taking the immediate rematch with Dubois,” Whyte told Sky Sports News.

“It was a world title fight, a great payday and the perfect opportunity. He will forever have to suffer the memes of being face-planted at Wembley by Dubois.”

The 36-year-old Whyte, who lost to Joshua by seventh-round stoppage in their first encounter a decade ago, drew parallels with his own experience after suffering defeat to Alexander Povetkin.

READ MORE:Anthony Joshua accused of making ‘big mistake’ after Daniel Dubois defeat by..

“When I lost to Povetkin, I crashed Eddie Hearn’s live interview and demanded the rematch. Nothing else mattered until I beat him in the rematch. It’s a mindset thing. I want to fight AJ and Tyson again because they both beat me.”

Promoter Eddie Hearn recently revealed that Joshua has seven different options for his next fight, including a potential rematch with Whyte, who was scheduled to face the two-time heavyweight champion in 2023 before the bout was cancelled due to a failed drugs test.

Meanwhile, IBF champion Dubois is set to defend his title against Joseph Parker in Riyadh on February 22, with the winner potentially securing a future bout with Joshua.

Anthony Joshua vs Dillian Whyte

Joshua’s career appears to be at a crossroads following Tyson Fury’s shock retirement announcement, which has scuppered hopes of their long-awaited British showdown.

However, Hearn believes Fury’s retirement might be temporary, telling the Daily Mail, “None of us know what Fury will do next, but if we are to see the fight in the summer, he would probably have to come out of retirement in the next three or four weeks.”

The promoter had earlier suggested Fury’s announcement could be a negotiating tactic, telling iFL TV, “If you ever want to come back and get the max, you have to retire first, haven’t you? Someone then has to bring you out of retirement.”

Joshua, who recently visited Nigeria and met with President Bola Tinubu, has remained silent on Fury’s retirement, with Hearn noting his fighter’s characteristically reserved response to the news.

Peter, who has been covering sports for PUNCH for close to two years, focuses on combat sports reporting, special features and human angle stories

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Anthony Joshua accused of making ‘big mistake’ after Daniel Dubois defeat by..

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Anthony Joshua & Daniel Dubois

Anthony Joshua accused of making ‘big mistake’ after Daniel Dubois defeat by ex-rival Dillian Whyte

Dillian Whyte believes Anthony Joshua needed to pursue an immediate rematch with Daniel Dubois after his brutal defeat.

Joshua was dropped three times in the shock defeat to British rival Dubois at Wembley Stadium in September, in a damaging blow to his hopes of being in the world title mix.

AJ is coming to the back end of his career and was expected to face Dubois in an immediate sequel this year, spurred on by the opportunity of revenge.

But the fight collapsed and now the former two-time champion is waiting to see what the year brings in terms of a potential opponent.

It appeared the British heavyweight was waiting to see if he can lure Tyson Fury into a blockbuster, but the ‘Gypsy King’ recently announced his retirement.

And Whyte, who was beaten by Joshua in 2015, believes the rematch was necessary to write his wrongs before being able to move on.

READ MORE:Eddie Hearn Makes Emphatic Daniel Dubois vs Joseph Parker Prediction..

Whyte told Sky Sports: “He made a huge mistake not taking the immediate rematch with Dubois.

“It was a world title fight, a great payday and the perfect opportunity. He will forever have to suffer the memes of being face-planted at Wembley by Dubois.

“When I lost to [Alexander] Povetkin, I crashed Eddie Hearn’s live interview and demanded the rematch.

“Nothing else mattered until I beat him in the rematch. It’s a mindset thing. I want to fight AJ and Tyson again because they both beat me.”

Whyte himself looked set to rematch Joshua last August but the fight was cancelled after one of his drug tests returned an adverse finding.

Anthony Joshua & Daniel Dubois

But now the ‘Body Snatcher’ wants the rematch again, which could be an alternative option for Joshua in 2025.

He added: “[Joshua] Sounds perfect for me. They don’t need to ask me twice.

“They talk about me as an option, but they haven’t said anything to me, so it’s just negotiation tactics from them.

“But I’m up for the fight and I’m ready to fight again. If he wants to fight, then all they’ve got to do is call me.

“I’m always up for fighting AJ. No problem for me. However, personally, I think he’s finished.”

Joshua could feasibly agree to face Whyte, with a showdown against Fury now seemingly off the table.

But he still possesses an interest in rematching Dubois, despite ‘Dynamite’ making his next IBF title defence against Joseph Parker on February 22.

Dubois is also determined to now move forward and suggested he would look to pursue a sequel with Oleksandr Usyk, which could be for the undisputed titles.

Joshua could also have numerous other options on the table, with promoter Eddie Hearn suggesting he could face Martin Bakole or Deontay Wilder.

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Eddie Hearn Makes Emphatic Daniel Dubois vs Joseph Parker Prediction..

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Daniel Dubois vs Joseph Parker

Eddie Hearn Makes Emphatic Daniel Dubois vs Joseph Parker Prediction: “His Style Causes Problems”

Eddie Hearn has a clear view on how Daniel Dubois is going to fare against Joseph Parker.

Dubois goes into this second defence of his IBF title off the back of an impressive run. In just over a year, he has put together three increasingly impressive knockout performances.

First he stopped American Jarrell Miller in the dying seconds of their 10-round fight, before he overcame the power of Fillip Hrgovic in June, then, best of all, he quickly dispatched former two time world champion Anthony Joshua inside five rounds in September.

READ MORE:Eddie Hearn hands Tyson Fury deadline to reverse retirement and salvage Anthony..

Parker is a former WBO champion himself. He is also in a rich vein of form having beaten Zhilei Zhang and Deontay Wilder on points in his last two contests.

Speaking to And Still Boxing, Hearn gave his view that Parker would get the victory.

“I think he wins the fight. I’m kind of like Joseph’s unofficial promoter. He’s a mate of mine and I love him. I think he’s gonna win. I do. I think he’s got the style to beat Dubois

Daniel Dubois vs Joseph Parker.

“Sometimes when you get the big win you get a bit carried away. You see [Daniel] in the ring calling out Usyk and if I’m Joseph I’m just chipping away, working away. It’s a tough fight but I think he can win … I think Parker is in the form of his career and he’s got the style that will really trouble Dubois.”

This fight on February 22 is part of a huge bill out in Saudi Arabia that is topped by a much-anticipated rematch between undisputed light heavyweight ruler Artur Beterbiev and challenger Dmitry Bivol after a close first contest back in October.

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