October 30th 2024.
In an unexpected turn of events, Dubois delivered a stunning performance at Wembley Stadium in September, knocking out Joshua in the fifth round and successfully defending his IBF world title. As a result, a rematch between the two heavyweight champions was being discussed for February. However, with time running out, it seems unlikely that Joshua will be ready for that date.
Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, explained the situation, stating that their main concern right now is timing. Joshua has a few minor injuries that need to be taken care of, and that will require him to refrain from punching for several weeks. With only three weeks left before they need to start training camp for a February fight, the turnaround is quite fast.
Hearn also mentioned that Joshua may want to wait and see the outcome of the Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury rematch, which is scheduled for December 21st, before making a decision on his next move. On the other hand, Dubois' promoter, Frank Warren, is still planning for his champion to fight in February, regardless of whether it's against Joshua or not.
The IBF has confirmed that Dubois is free to make an optional defense of his title before April 22nd against any of their ranked opponents. After that, he will be ordered to fulfill a mandatory title defense, which could potentially be against the winner of the IBF final eliminator between Martin Bakole and Agit Kabayel.
Among the potential opponents for Dubois is British and Commonwealth champion Fabio Wardley, who recently delivered a brutal knockout victory over Frazer Clarke in Saudi Arabia. Wardley is also promoted by Warren, making it easier to set up an in-house world title fight for Queensberry Promotions.
Another possible opponent for Dubois is former WBO champion Joseph Parker. Parker has been climbing his way back into the world title conversation with impressive wins over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang. His trainer, Andy Lee, has stated that Parker is ready for a fight against Dubois. The New Zealander has not fought since his victory over Zhang in March.
Zhang himself could also be a potential opponent for Dubois. Despite his defeat to Parker, the Chinese heavyweight bounced back with a thrilling knockout win over Wilder in June, reigniting his own world title prospects. With a win over Parker, Zhang could put himself in a position to challenge Dubois for the IBF title.
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