Dubois Sidelined Until Next Year Due To Injury

Frank Warren has stated that Daniel Dubois will not box again until next year.

The news comes after Dubois, who is currently sidelined with an injury, declined an offer for a rescheduled bout against Joseph Parker, a fight that was originally slated for February. The delay is the latest in a series of setbacks for Dubois, whose last fight was a unanimous decision loss to Oleksandr Usyk in July. The loss was a major blow to Dubois’ career, as it was his second defeat against the Ukrainian and cost him a chance to become the undisputed heavyweight champion. 

Following his loss to Usyk, Dubois also announced his split from his longtime trainer, Don Charles. The split was a difficult one, as Charles has been with Dubois during his recent resurgence which saw him rack up three straight wins before the Usyk loss. However, Dubois felt that he needed to make a change to get back on track. This was especially after leaked footage showed Dubois at a party hours before the Usyk fight.

The Next Steps

The most important step for Dubois is to fully recover from his injury and focus on his new trainer Tony Sims. Dubois has shown in the past that he has the power to knock out anyone in the division, as he did against Anthony Joshua. A win over Joshua not only made him the IBF heavyweight champion, but it also changed the perception of him as a boxer. He will need to continue to learn from his mistakes and improve his head movement, but he has the tools to be a great champion. A win over Parker and another solid opponent would put him in line for a title shot. 

A rearranged fight with Joseph Parker would be the perfect way for Dubois to get back on track. The two were originally scheduled to fight in February, but Dubois withdrew due to a viral infection. Parker, who is now the WBO interim champion, is a top-level heavyweight with a good chin and a solid resume, which includes wins over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang. A win over Parker would not only be a great payday for Dubois, but it would also prove that he has learned from his mistakes and is ready to compete with the elite. Warren had this to say.

“The fight we wanted to make was one between him and Joseph Parker. We offered him the fight but he is now injured. So I now doubt that he will fight again this year. He will likely return in January or February next year,” Warren said