Joseph Parker finds himself in familiar territory ahead of Daniel Dubois showdown

Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker

JOSEPH Parker looks to extend his scintillating run of form when he locks horns with IBF world heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois on February 22.

The pair will collide on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol 2 for what promises to deliver a fiercely contested battle in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Parker, 35-3 (23 KOs), comes off two tremendous victories over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang, outpointing both destructive punchers to restore his position at world level.

And yet, despite this new and improved version of the New Zealander โ€“ thriving under the tutelage of esteemed trainer and former world champion Andy Lee โ€“ it appears that he is being somewhat overlooked by Dubois, 22-2 (21 KOs).

Shortly after Oleksandr Usyk claimed his second victory over Tyson Fury last month, Dubois entered the ring to demand a rematch with the formidable Ukrainian.

Ever since their encounter back in 2023, the Brit has insisted that the shot he landed in the fifth round โ€“ which was ultimately ruled a low blow โ€“ was, in fact, a legal body shot.

But regardless of the controversy, Usyk produced a comprehensive performance to halt โ€˜Dynamiteโ€™ in the ninth round.

Dubois, however, now appears to be drenched in confidence following his ruthless fifth-round stoppage victory over Anthony Joshua in September, representing a vastly different challenge for the 37-year-old.

For Parker, meanwhile, the thought of being underestimated by his next opponent is something that he has been forced to contend with in the past.

And so, the opportunity to scupper his rival’s plans has only enhanced the 33-year-oldโ€™s assured approach to their fight.

โ€œListen, [Duboisโ€™] beaming with confidence from what heโ€™s done in the ring,โ€ Parker told Boxing News. โ€œHe wants a rematch [with Usyk], but he has to focus on this fight first.

โ€œA lot of people underestimate myself, Andy Lee and George Lockhart [Parkerโ€™s strength and conditioning coach] โ€“ they always have other plans for the fights ahead. But they have to focus on whatโ€™s in front of them.

โ€œIโ€™m in fantastic shape, ready to go. Letโ€™s go!โ€

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