Heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois’ scheduled world-title defense against Joseph Parker on Saturday has been called off after the titleholder fell unwell just two days before the bout.
The British fighter was undergoing medical assessment in Saudi Arabia and missed Thursday’s press conference before being officially withdrawn later in the evening.
Dubois, 27, was set to make his second title defense for the IBF belt. There is no clarification on the exact nature of his illness.
New Zealand’s Parker, 33, will now face Congolese contender Martin Bakole, who has been brought in as a last-minute replacement.
“If he is unwell, I hope he recovers soon. I’m still looking forward to Saturday and putting on a great show,” Parker said before the announcement of his new opponent.
Dubois has secured 22 professional victories with two losses. He claimed the interim IBF belt against Filip Hrgovic and was promoted to world champion when Oleksandr Usyk vacated the title.
The Londoner defended his belt for the first time by stopping Anthony Joshua in five rounds at Wembley Stadium last September.
Parker holds a record of 35 wins and three defeats. He was the WBO heavyweight champion between 2015 and 2017.
The highly regarded 33-year-old Bakole, who is based in Scotland, has suffered just one loss in 22 fights, with 16 knockout victories.
The fight will be the co-main event on a card headlined by the undisputed light-heavyweight clash between champion Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
Also featured, British boxer Hamzah Sheeraz will challenge Carlos Adames for the WBC middleweight title.
A Credible Substitute, but a Major Setback for Dubois – Analysis
They say to always expect the unexpected in heavyweight boxing.
Speculation about Dubois’ illness surfaced at 17:10 GMT. Promoter Frank Warren did not even mention Dubois at an undercard press conference just after 18:00.
However, Dubois was noticeably absent an hour later at the main media event. Warren stated that he was undergoing medical evaluation, while a disappointed Parker reaffirmed his commitment to fighting on the card.
To sum up the chaotic turn of events, as Parker stepped off stage, he told BBC Radio 5 Live he had received no official update on Dubois’ withdrawal and had not been informed of any new potential opponents.
Moments later, Bakole was being confirmed on social media as the replacement fighter.
Bakole is a highly respectable challenger, and the winner will likely earn a title shot in the future—making it a competitive bout. But it is not a world-title match. For British fans, and particularly for Dubois, it is a major disappointment.
Illnesses occur, and fighters occasionally pull out, but for it to happen so close to fight night is uncommon. In fact, this marks the second withdrawal during fight week from what was promoted as the biggest event in boxing history.
Nevertheless, with the depth of this card, there is still plenty to anticipate—most notably, the highly anticipated rematch between Beterbiev and Bivol, two of the world’s finest pound-for-pound fighters.
