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IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois dismissed challenger Joseph Parker as “having his day” during their Face Off interview on DAZN ahead of their joint season fight in Riyadh next month on February 22 on the Artur Beterbiev v Dmitry Bivol card 2.
Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs) let the 33-year-old recently rejuvenated former WBO heavyweight champion Parker (35-3, 23 KOs) know his five-fight winning streak was about to end. Parker and his team have made a big deal out of his recent wins over 41-year-old Zhilei Zhang and 39-year-old Deontay Wilder.
The victory over Zhang was questionable, as Parker went down twice in the fight, and it looked like it should have been a loss under the circumstances. Wilder looked like a destroyed fighter after three fights against Tyson Fury.
So it’s no surprise that Parker beat him because he looked like a classic example of an old fighter who couldn’t pull the trigger anymore. The power was still there for Wilder, but the reflexes were 100% gone.
Dubois, 27, is coming off a career-best fifth-round knockout victory over former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua on Sept. 21 at Wembley Stadium in London.
Surprisingly, AJ didn’t even try to avenge his loss by asking for an immediate rematch like he did after his losses to Alexander Usyk and Andy Ruiz. Joshua’s refusal to take the rematch signaled that he, or perhaps his promoters, did not feel he was up to the task.
Dubois Too Strong?
Daniel Dubois: “He’s been in form the last couple of fights but he’s had his day,” said the IBF heavyweight champion. DAZN Boxingpromoting the Feb. 22 title defense.
Joseph Parker: “I’m just getting started. My day is coming.”
Dubois: “And Joe Joyce? What happened?”
Parker: “I was sick. What about Joe Joyce for you?”
Dubois: “It’s different.”
Parker: “He should have knocked me out in the first round.” I was sick. I went 11 rounds.”
Dubois: “I’ll rule out the opportunity.” I will be better than him in every department. Power and Speed”
Coach Andy Lee: “We know what Daniel has. Great shot, great power and speed to some extent. He’s not as fast as Joe, and he’s not as good as Joe. What Joe has is intelligence. He is a smart fighter. That’s how we mitigated Deontay Wilder’s power, and that’s how we fought and outplayed Zhang. What people underestimate is his extra size, and you’ll see that.”
Parker: “I’ve been quietly building what’s to come, and now we have this man.”
Dubois: “I’m ready to fight.” It’s the same thing. It’s just a different day.”
Frank Warren: “None of them take it lightly.” It all comes down to believing in yourself.”
