Search for opponent to face Dubois still on

The search for a challenger for Daniel Dubois is still ongoing as no decision has yet been reached by his team. The IBF heavyweight champion is just a few months away from being awarded a mandatory challenger by the IBF if he fails to get one himself, and for now, it seems like that may be the case. 

Dubois is still feeling fresh from knocking out Anthony Joshua in the fifth round of their September bout. Although there was supposed to be a rematch, Joshua’s team has said the former champion would need more time to prepare before entering the ring again, which is what has forced Dubois camp to be on the lookout for potential challengers, to avoid being handed a mandatory fighter. 

Joseph Parker is one of the names being mentioned as a possible challenger. The WBO interim champion made headlines after defeating Deontay Wilder last December and is ready to prove that he has all it takes to become a champion in the heavyweight division. Even though Parker is not among the top-ranked IBF challengers, this would not prevent a fight from happening if both camps agreed, as all that would be required is final approval from the IBF. 

Another fighter that could step up is Martin Bakole, whose promoter, Ben Shalom, has said is ready to step in. Bakole is currently ranked high in IBF rankings and could soon become a mandatory challenger, which means if care is not taken, Dubois would have to face him either way. 

Shalom believes Bakole has what it takes to step up as a challenger to Dubois, and even possibly become the undisputed champion: “Martin is the future of the heavyweight division. He’s now closing in on his world title shot. Once he gets it, there’s going to be no stopping him. He beats Daniel Dubois, and then he can unify the division.” 

He later further explained Bakole’s status as a soon-to-be mandatory challenger and how he could be too much for Dubois to handle: “There’s a reason he’s the most avoided man in heavyweight boxing. He will be too strong and too skillful for Dubois. After the Anderson fight, people finally started to take notice. I believe he’s the man to beat at heavyweight.

“The IBF title is his focus. He’s set to fight Kabayel next for mandatory status. Once he’s won the IBF title, he will be coming for all the belts.”

Dubois has until April 22 to decide and while that may seem far away, it should be noted that fight contracts take some time to agree to, meaning Dubois’s opponent would have signed on to the fight before the April deadline, otherwise the fight could go to the mandatory challenger.