Daniel Dubois is gearing up to defend his IBF world heavyweight title for the second time. In an exciting matchup, he will go head-to-head with Joseph Parker, uniting two of the most promising heavyweights currently in the sport.
Joseph Parker, a former world champion, lost his title in a unification fight to Anthony Joshua back in 2018. Since then, he has faced some challenges, including losses to Dillian Whyte and Joe Joyce. However, Parker has recently been on a successful trajectory. In December, he impressively defeated Deontay Wilder over 12 rounds, skillfully evading Wilder’s notorious right hand. Before that, he secured a victory against Zhilei Zhang, going the distance and emerging victorious.
Dubois has also experienced a mix of triumphs and setbacks. Though he suffered a loss to Joe Joyce earlier, he has made an impressive comeback. In his last three bouts, he achieved stoppage victories over Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic. The win against Hrgovic earned him the full IBF championship. However, in September, he faced a setback when Anthony Joshua knocked him out during his first title defense.
Shannon Briggs, a former world heavyweight champion, expressed his views on the upcoming fight during an interview with Seconds Out. He shared his admiration for Parker, stating:
"Parker is something else. He’s hard to handle. He took losses like a man and bounced right back. He was the first of the current era to take a loss and come right back with a win. I’m super impressed with him."
Briggs also acknowledged the improvements he has seen in Dubois, adding:
"Dubois changed it up. He got better."
When it comes to predicting the winner of the bout, Briggs expressed his uncertainty:
"Parker possibly can win, but it ain’t easy. I would have said Parker all day long before, but Dubois improved."
The stakes for this fight are exceptionally high. The victor might find themselves in contention for an undisputed match, particularly with Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk scheduled to face each other on December 21.
