Daniel Dubois had to cancel his IBF heavyweight title defense against Joseph Parker in Riyadh this weekend. The fight fell through because Dubois got sick.
Frank Warren, Dubois' promoter, explained what happened at the weigh-in on Thursday. He said Dubois wasn't feeling well and got some medicine. They waited overnight, but Dubois still felt bad. When the British Boxing Board of Control doctor checked him out, the doctor said Dubois couldn't fight.
Warren shared:
"Daniel wasn't feeling good. He was given some medication and told to wait overnight and he didn't feel any better. The British Boxing Board of Control doctor saw him and immediately said he can't fight. He was absolutely gutted, so much so he said 'why did we call the doctor?'"
The promoter stressed the importance of fighter safety, especially at the top level of boxing:
"This is boxing at the highest level. You can't have guys going into significant fights like this if you're not right. You can't do it. You don't get another option. How many times do we hear fighters say after fights say 'I went into that fight with a bad hand, or my leg hurt.' It's irrelevant. It means nothing to me that. I want to know before. Live to fight another day, that's the most important thing."
The organizers acted fast to keep the show going. They brought in Martin Bakole, a top heavyweight contender, to face Parker instead. Bakole got just 48 hours' notice and will arrive in Riyadh early Saturday morning.
This cancellation comes after Dubois, known as "DDD," scored a big knockout win over Anthony Joshua in September. The fight with Parker was supposed to be his first title defense.
Looking ahead, there's talk of a possible undisputed heavyweight title showdown between Dubois and Oleksandr Usyk. Usyk recently said he wants to fight "DDD" next. But for now, Dubois will focus on getting healthy and back into the ring.
