Joseph Parker’s shot at returning to the ranks of world heavyweight boxing champions is in doubt, with Daniel Dubois believed to have fallen ill.
The pair are scheduled to meet in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Sunday (NZ time) with Parker looking to dethrone the IBF title holder and begin hissecond reign as a world champion.
However, the 27-year-old Englishman has been getting a doctor’s evaluation after being struck with illness.
A replacement is being pursued in the event that Dubois is unable to square off against Parker, though it is unclear at this point exactly what that means in the title picture.
The Herald understands former WBO world cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie (21-1) – currently ranked in the top 10 at heavyweight with the WBO and WBC, 13-1 British heavyweight David Adeleye and undefeated French heavyweight Mourad Aliev (13-0) are among the names being considered as a potential replacement.
For Parker, the fight against Dubois being called off would be another bump in what has been a long road back to the division’s elite.
Not long ago, few gave him a puncher’s chance of reaching such a prestigious stage. But since a knockout loss to Joe Joyce in 2022 – the only loss inside the distance of Parker’s career – the 33-year-old again built himself back up.
Now, riding a five-fight winning streak and recent wins over former WBC world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder and taking the WBO interim heavyweight championship title from Zhilei Zhang last March.
That set Parker up to contest Dubois' title, which he claimed with a knockout win over Anthony Joshua. The two British boxers squared off for the vacant belt after then-undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk was forced to relinquish the title by the IBF as he pursued a rematch against Tyson Fury.
