Former WBO heavyweight champ Joseph Parker is “chomping at the bit” over a potential fight with current IBF ruler Daniel Dubois, and the New Zealander would back himself to KO Dubois if the fight came off. This is what Parker’s promoter David Higgins told Sky Sports. Dubois, coming off that stunning, shocking fifth round KO win over Anthony Joshua (who holds a points win over Parker), wants to fight the winner of the Oleksandr Usyk-Tyson Fury rematch winner, but Parker wants a piece of him, and quite badly.
Higgins said his man will fight Dubois “anywhere, anytime.”
“Joseph would love to fight Daniel Dubois next, he’s chomping at the bit,” Higgins said. “Joseph is ready to fight anyone but if he was given the opportunity to fight Daniel Dubois, he’d grab it with both hands and he would back himself to win. I think besides Usyk-Fury II, Parker-Dubois I think – in the heavyweights – will be the best fighting the best. Parker is on a roll and has surprised people and I think you could say the same about Daniel Dubois. Styles make fights and I think the fans would love to see Joseph Parker versus Daniel Dubois……He has no fear of Daniel Dubois. He’d fight him anywhere, anytime and he’d back himself to beat and knock out Daniel Dubois.”
Because of his big win over AJ, and because he holds a major title, plenty of other heavyweight contenders will want a piece of Dubois right now. It really does seem as though Dubois has a ton of options moving forward. It could, however, be a rematch with Joshua next, with AJ having a rematch in his contract. The winner of the Usyk-Fury rematch might not fight again for some time after December 21, so Dubois, who is on a roll as Higgins said, may want to fight someone else in the meantime so as to keep busy and keep sharp. We don’t know when Joshua will be able to fight again (a good, long rest is what plenty of experts are advising for AJ after that heavy, nasty KO loss), so who knows, maybe Parker will get what he wants and get a shot at Dubois.
But if Dubois and Parker do rumble, who wins? Both men are coming off good wins, Parker having beaten what was left of Deontay Wilder, Dubois hammering Joshua. Could you call this one a pick ’em fight? As good as he’s looked in his last three fights (stoppage wins over Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, Joshua) it’s tough to go against Dubois.
