In his sights: Daniel Dubois wants to fight Dillian Whyte or Joseph Parker next
(Picture: Getty Images)Daniel Dubois has his sights set on fighting Dillian Whyte and Joseph Parker after an emphatic knockout of Trevor Bryan.
Dubois became the new WBA ‘regular’ world heavyweight champion on a memorable night in Miami on Saturday, dominating the first three rounds on only his second US appearance before finishing the job with a monster left hook in the fourth.
The former British and Commonwealth title-holder also became the mandatory challenger for the WBA’s ‘super’ title by taking a significant step on his quest for global boxing stardom, a belt currently held by Oleksandr Usyk.
Unified champion Usyk - who also holds the IBF, WBO and IBO belts after his famous victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last September - is due to rematch Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia this summer, with that bout now expected to take place in mid-August having initially been slated for July 23.
Meanwhile, reports that WBC champion Tyson Fury is already locked in talks over facing the winner of Usyk-Joshua 2 in Saudi in December have been dismissed as “rubbish” by the self-proclaimed ‘Gypsy King’, who insists he has retired after dominating Whyte on his UK homecoming in front of 94,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in April.
It is likely to be some time before Dubois, now 18-1 with 17 knockouts as he continues to bounce back from that shock defeat by Joe Joyce in 2020, is able to cash in on his new-found mandatory status, with potential showdowns with Whyte and Parker firmly on the radar next instead.
Whyte has signalled a desire to continue fighting after his decisive loss to Fury, while New Zealander Parker has signed a long-term promotional deal with BOXXER to fight on Sky Sports.
Dubois could also potentially face the winner of the title eliminator between Tyson’s cousin Hughie Fury and American Michael Hunter, which takes place in Manchester on July 2.
“This I believe will make me an instantly better fighter now,” Dubois told BT Sport when asked who he would like to face in future. “When you win the world title, they say you become next level.
“Dillian Whyte, Joseph Parker, all the names out there, they are all on my hit list.”
He added: “Now I can make some massive fights in the future. I am so grateful for this moment. Bring them all on, I am ready.”
Whyte was also namechecked as a desired next opponent for Dubois by trainer Shane McGuigan, who believes the WBA belt will see his charge become a much sought-after draw on the heavyweight scene in the months ahead.
