Dubois’ absence robs Parker of the chance to challenge for the title and to capitalise on his momentum after reviving his career with five straight wins in the last three years – the last two against vaunted power punches Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang.
Parker earned another title shot and, behind closed doors, will be frustrated that through no fault of his own it has been taken away at the 11th hour.
The late curveball instead throws Parker into a treacherous replacement fight against Martin Bakole, the heavy-handed 21-1 Congolese star dubbed the boogeyman of the heavyweight division due to his feared status as the most avoided challenger.
Bakole is ranked inside the top five with all four major sanctioning bodies and is riding a 10-fight unbeaten streak. In his last outing in August the 33-year-old crushed touted American prospect Jared Anderson in a five-round demolition.
“Martin Bakole, he’s a beast of a fighter,” Parker said. “I’m looking forward to challenging him. He’s been avoided. Let’s get it on.
“Things happen in life, not just in boxing. You’ve got to adapt, adjust and go forward no matter what. I’m going to go forward and hopefully Daniel recovers and gets better soon.”
The Herald understands Joe Joyce, who handed Parker his only knockout defeat three years ago, former WBO world cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie (21-1), 13-1 British heavyweight David Adeleye and undefeated Frenchman Mourad Aliev (13-0) were among the names considered as a potential replacement for Dubois.
Ultimately, though, promoters settled on Bakole – easily the most difficult of that contingent.
Parker is expected to put his WBO interim title on the line – and the bout could double as an IBF eliminator.
But such a significant shift 24 hours out from fight night is far from ideal. While it’s not a lose-lose situation for Parker, as a win over Bakole will further enhance his claims and credentials, after being within touching distance of a title shot he now carries all the risk.
No matter how Parker’s revamped contest transpired, his reputation for accepting all comers and ducking no one will be entrenched.
With plans firmly in place, Parker will weigh in at a career-heaviest this weekend – and he will need that added bulk for Bakole.
Parker was 115.8kg for the 2022 Joyce loss, when he fell ill before the fight. This time, he believes the added weight will enhance his power and durability.
“I was 125-126kgs at one stage now we’ve come down to 118-119kg. It’s not really about the weight now. It’s getting everything on point.
“My thinking is it does help with more power otherwise having the extra weight is a waste of time. I’m not looking to take big shots but the more weight you have the more you’re able to absorb those shots too.”
One concern for Parker, historically at his best when fighting regularly, is his recent inactivity after he endured a frustrating 11-month wait for his next opponent to be determined.
“The last fight I had was in March. A lot of people talk about ring rust. I experienced it when I fought Derek Chisora then I was out of the ring for a while before I fought Joe Joyce.
“The difference between now and then is I’ve been living the life; I’ve been training, keeping in shape, building with George Lockhart, boxing with Andy Lee with a stint in Ireland before December.”
Not so long ago, when everyone wrote him off, when everyone said he should retire, Parker surmounted adversity to rise from the canvas.
While he is confident of overcoming another sizable hurdle, this time in the form of Bakole, it will require a significant mental shift to let go of another tilt at the coveted heavyweight title.
Liam Napier travelled to Saudi Arabia courtesy of Manuka Doctor.
