Tony Joshua might have lost the chance to fight the winner of Daniel Dubois vs Joseph Parker next

Tony Joshua might have lost the chance to fight the winner of Daniel Dubois vs Joseph Parker next.

Dubois puts his IBF heavyweight world championship on the line against New Zealand’s Parker.

If the British fighter secures victory, he aims to challenge Oleksandr Usyk—holder of the unified WBC, WBA, and WBO titles—for the undisputed heavyweight world championship in his next bout.

That would mark a rematch for Dubois, who suffered a defeat to Usyk in 2023 in Poland.

During that bout, Usyk was sent to the canvas by a shot deemed low. The Ukrainian utilised his allotted recovery time before regaining control and stopping Dubois in the ninth round.

Dubois went on to claim the IBF title last year and scored a knockout victory over Anthony Joshua in his most recent bout.

Although there was speculation about an immediate rematch, Joshua—once a unified champion—will likely have to wait for another shot at a world title.

“That is no walk in the park, that’s going to be a tough fight. If he comes through that, he’s got a lot of options.

“But the big fight that he wants is the rematch with Usyk. Very controversial [first] fight. Those four minutes in that fight when he hurt him – I thought it was a legal blow, I’m not going to go into all that stuff – but he hurt him and he probably gave him his toughest fight he’s had.

“I think he can beat him. I think the form he’s in now, I think he can beat Usyk.”

Then Dubois would be the undisputed world champion, the status Usyk held when he first beat Tyson Fury before he had to vacate the IBF belt.

“[Going undisputed] that’s what this heavyweight thing is all about,” Warren said.

Warren is convinced that Dubois will defeat Parker. The New Zealander has claimed he can take the champion to breaking point in their fight.

But thinking Dubois will quit, Warren warned, would be a grave miscalculation. “[Jarrell] Miller did, [Filip] Hrgovic did and AJ did. They all said the same thing and he stopped them all. All of them. Stopped them all. Done it in style and come from behind in a couple of those fights,” the promoter explained.

“Against Hrgovic, you look at those first three rounds. It was a tough three rounds to get through but then he grit his teeth and showed what he’s about and it’s the same with AJ. Going into that fight with AJ, AJ was on a roll he had some good wins, the crowd was behind him. From the very first bell he [Dubois] was the governor.

“In the last four fights, including Usyk, he’s been the underdog and he’s upset the odds in three of those fights.

“Twenty-seven years of age, he’s matured not just physically but mentally. He’s showing what he’s all about. For the first time in five fights he goes in as the favourite, against a former world champion in Joe Parker, who is on a roll, a big roll at the moment.

“So this fight again is going to be something extra, extra special.”

Tony Joshua might have lost the chance to fight the winner of Daniel Dubois vs Joseph Parker next