WHETHER he agrees on a rematch or sails off in a different direction, Daniel Dubois’ crunching fifth-round KO of Anthony Joshua has certainly left the 27-year-old in a significantly stronger position.
Dubois’ win has seen him climb up the Boxing News rankings from sixth spot to third in our world top 10. Only two men remain ahead of Daniel: Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury, who meet in a rematch on December 21. Usyk had already beaten Dubois, by ninth-round stoppage in a 2023 Polish affair.
However, given Dubois’ success since that night, mixed with the never-ending low blow controversy, followed by wins over Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, and now Joshua, the heavy hitter would fancy his chances in a second effort. Should Usyk defeat Fury, of course. If Fury wins, depending on the circumstances, then a third fight could be on the table, leaving the best of the rest to fight it out between themselves for scraps under the table.
Anthony Joshua’s stunning defeat has seen him drop below Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker, the latter being a heavyweight he has already beaten. Zhang also lost to Parker but would be considered a handful for anyone. The Chinese southpaw is rumoured to be close to agreeing a clash with another heavyweight beast in the form of Boxing News-ranked number 10 heavyweight Martin Bakole.
Fast-rising Agit Kabayel, who has been talking about a possible Joseph Parker fight next, is seventh, aiming to break into the top five. Deontay Wilder (#9) and Filip Hrgovic (#8) are currently clinging to their respective places.