Coach Andy Lee says Joseph Parker can be able to combat IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois on February twenty second if he doesn’t face Anthony Joshua. If that combat occurs subsequent, it will likely be large.
Promoter Eddie Hearn says Joshua needs the rematch in opposition to Dubois however needs to attend to search out out what occurs with the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk II conflict on December twenty first. The Joshua-Dubois rematch isn’t possible as a result of AJ wants extra time to heal from his current loss.
Dubois could be a tricky combat for the 32-year-old Parker, who has remodeled his combating type right into a artful Chris Byrd kind of fighter.
Nonetheless, even with that type, Parker could possibly be up in opposition to it, combating the 27-year-old Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs), appeared excellent in his final three fights, knocking out Joshua, Filip Hrgovic, Jarrell Miller, and getting robbed of a stoppage in his combat in opposition to Oleksandr Usyk final 12 months in August 2023.
Parker (35-3, 23 KOs) captured the WBO interim title with a 12-round break up determination win over Zhilei Zhang on March eighth in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He was knocked down twice in that combat.
For Parker to have any probability in opposition to Dubois, he’ll have to be on his bike like he was in his wins over Zhang and Deontay Wilder. He was transferring always in these fights, making an attempt to evade the ability of these two huge punchers.
Even with all of the motion Parker used, Zhang dropped him twice and was fairly lucky to be given a win. As a result of controversy concerned, there ought to have been a rematch, however Parker is taking his win and is now seeking to combat Dubois.
Parker can’t depend on getting a choice primarily based on Dubois gassing like Zhang or being afraid to throw punches, as Wilder was Dubois can be bringing it and seeking to take Parker’s head off with each shot.
“The #1 alternative is Daniel Dubois in opposition to Joseph Parker. However give me Daniel Dubois in opposition to Martin Bakole proper now,” mentioned commentator Ade Oladipo on his channel.
