PROMOTER Frank Warren will have to come up with an alternative opponent for Daniel Dubois after revealing the Anthony Joshua rematch won’t happen.
Dubois-Joshua 2 was the front-runner for the IBF heavyweight champion’s next fight despite the brutal nature of his victory at Wembley Stadium in September.
The fifth-round knockout rounded off a thrilling scrap that saw Joshua knocked down four times in total. ‘AJ’ and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, were adamant they wanted a return bout next, but Warren later revealed Dubois would fight next in February, thus ruling out Joshua, who needs more time before getting back in the ring.
Former WBO champion Joseph Parker has reportedly put his hat in the ring and last night Warren gave his thoughts on the match-up to Boxing News.
“I like that fight but there’s a few others there as well,” Warren said.
“We’re going to sit down because everybody was obviously focusing on the rematch and we know where we are now. We’ll be looking and seeing what’s available. We’ve got to sit down as a team and go through it and discuss and pick the right opponent.”
The New Zealander built up serious momentum in his career with back-to-back wins over Deontay Wilder 11 months ago and then Zhilei Zhang in March. However, the 32-year-old hasn’t fought since and is in need of another big fight.
Recently, Queensberry signed Fabio Wardley, who has also called for a shot at Dubois. The 29-year-old caught the attention of many after his thumping win over Frazer Clarke last month.
“Fabio asked for it,” Warren said. “But I think it’s too early and I think it’s a fight that we can build up and if we do it, [it] could be a massive stadium fight.”
