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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Simon Collings

Usyk vs Dubois: Frank Warren aiming to make undisputed rematch that would 'sell out Wembley Stadium'

Rematch: The first fight between Daniel Dubois and Oleksandr Usyk in 2023 was mired in controversy - (Getty Images)

A rematch between Daniel Dubois and unified world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk would sell out Wembley Stadium, according to promoter Frank Warren.

Usyk, who currently holds the WBO, WBA and WBC belts, defeated Dubois in 2023 when the pair fought in Poland.

Dubois, who holds the IBF heavyweight belt, had been due to fight Joseph Parker in February, but was forced to pull out due to illness.

Parker emphatically defeated late stand-in Martin Bakole and earlier this month Usyk was ordered by the WBO to begin negotiations with the New Zealander for a mandatory title defence.

Warren, however, is eager for Usyk to face Dubois for the second time instead, arguing it is a “bigger fight”. The plan would be for Parker to then face the winner of that bout.

“Look, Daniel Dubois is the IBF champion, he is on a real roll,” Warren told talkSPORT. “He fought Usyk and there was a lot of controversy in that fight.

“It’s a natural rematch and the four belts will be on the line, and I think that is - I have just got to be honest - the direction I would prefer to go, because I think it is a bigger fight.

“I think it fills up Wembley or, if we go to Riyadh, it’s a huge fight. And the winner of that fights Joe Parker because the WBO title is the next in line for the mandatory defences, so Joe is in there.

“We would give Joe a fight in the meantime and whatever happens, he has got the winner and is fighting for the four belts.”

Anthony Joshua has been suggested as a possible opponent for Parker as he waits for Dubois and Usyk to potentially face off again.

Joshua has not fought since September last year, when he was knocked out by Dubois at Wembley, and is on the hunt for his next opponent.

The 35-year-old’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has revealed Joshua is currently injured but he will fight this year.

And asked about a second showdown with Parker, whom he comfortably outpointed in Cardiff in 2018 to unify the WBA, IBF and WBO titles, Hearn said: “Possibly, yeah. I think it is a great fight.

“Firstly, Joe Parker is on an incredible run. I mean, he has beaten [Deontay] Wilder when no one really wanted to fight him.

“He has beaten [Zhilei] Zhang when he was like the bogeyman and he has just beaten Bakole, although on short notice. That was a dangerous fight to take.

“I love Joe, I think he deserves an opportunity. Joe against Dubois, Joe against Usyk, Joe against AJ - they are all great fights.

“I think for AJ, this is the closing chapter and we have got to get it right. He is not going to be able to punch now for another six weeks or so.

“Dubois and [Tyson] Fury are, of course, probably the bigger challenges for him at this moment in his career, but the Parker fight is a dangerous fight for anybody.

“We beat him once, but that was a unification and a long time ago. Joe is on great form and AJ is coming off a defeat.

“We are not in a tearing rush, but of course he is going to fight again this year. We have got to get the decision right, because this is the last throw of the dice, really.”

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