Oleksandr Usyk is about for a second shot at undisputed in successful again the title he ought to by no means have misplaced exterior the ring.
World Boxing Information understands {that a} rematch with Daniel Dubois is now Turki Alalshikh’s number-one selection following final weekend’s motion in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. With all 4 titles at stake, the conflict might occur within the area or the UK by June.
Dubois was freed up by a bout of sickness suffered in the course of the build-up to Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2, the place the Londoner was pressured to tug out of a battle with Joseph Parker. The February 22 occasion went on with out ‘DDD,’ who was one in all two fighters who finally cried off the cardboard.
Usyk and Dubois might now meet for the second time following a knockout by the Ukrainian in August 2023 that got here with a contact of controversy over a low blow. Dubois thought he’d put Usyk on the canvas, just for the referee to name a foul. Usyk then took a number of minutes to get himself collectively.
UK followers needed Dubois to be declared the struggle’s winner by way of KO after Usyk had defeated Anthony Joshua twice. Authorities dominated in favor of Usyk, who gained by way of TKO and beat one other Briton, Tyson Fury, in a second double triumph.
The heavyweight division has since change into cloudy as mandates pile up, with solely Dubois getting his shot when Joe Joyce, Zhilei Zhang, Parker, and, extra not too long ago, Agit Kabayel have all held interim titles.
Usyk Double-Header
A more than likely state of affairs for Alalshikh to plot is a heavyweight double-header, which might see Usyk vs. Dubois accompanied by Parker vs. Kabayel in a semi-final, very like the Day of Reckoning card that ruined followers’ probabilities of seeing Deontay Wilder vs. Joshua in 2024.
Parker is already sad that he missed out on going through Dubois for the IBF title. The New Zealander can be much more aggravated that Dubois might now make a diversion and face Usyk for all of the gold.
Usyk’s face as Martin Bakole will get worn out by Jospeh Parker in two.
@boxingontntpic.twitter.com/6V2PGq6CQR
— World Boxing Information (@WorldBoxingNews) February 23, 2025
Discussing the scenario in Saudi Arabia, Parker stated, “I believe there’s going to be a struggle with Usyk and Dubois lined up as a result of everyone seems to be speaking about it now. Presumably, I’ll have yet another struggle [likely Kabayel] earlier than preventing for the world championship. It sucks not preventing for the world championship.
“Since I misplaced it [the WBO title he won against Andy Ruiz] in 2018, I’ve been working exhausting to get again to preventing for the title. To get an opportunity to struggle for it [the IBF title], it vanishes in entrance of you two days earlier than the struggle. At the moment, I didn’t care. I used to be centered on the struggle date and staying switched on for whoever was going to be in entrance of me. Now the [Bakole] struggle is completed, it doesn’t really feel proper,” he added.
The added strain of getting two interim champions, Parker [WBO] and Kabayel [WBC], offers Alalshikh a straightforward choice to appease two of the sanctioning our bodies.
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Learn all articles and unique interviews by Phil Jay. Be taught extra in regards to the writer, skilled boxing author, and World Boxing Information Editor since 2010.
