Daniel Dubois, middle, celebrates victory in opposition to Anthony Joshua, not pictured, within the IBF World Heavyweight bout at Wembley Stadium, in London, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (Bradley Collyer/PA by way of AP)
Tyson Fury appeared as surprised as everybody else inside Wembley Stadium after witnessing Daniel Dubois dismantle Anthony Joshua within the newest shake-up of boxing’s heavyweight division.
Besides Fury had different issues on his thoughts.
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“Pay attention, that’s value me 150 million,” Fury, scratching his head, shouted to a buddy at ringside on Saturday night time.
READ: ‘Warrior’ Anthony Joshua vows to struggle on regardless of Dubois mauling
Possibly Fury vs. Joshua — the long-awaited heavyweight struggle that boxing’s new overlords in Saudi Arabia had reportedly been planning — may by no means occur.
As an alternative, it’s Dubois, one other British fighter, who has muscled his approach onto the game’s prime desk.
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Given his age, he could possibly be there to remain.
The 27-year-old Dubois might need the boxing world at his toes after a brutal fifth-round knockout of Joshua that not solely legitimized his standing because the IBF titleholder however made lots sit up and take discover.
That included Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, at present the 2 main powers among the many heavyweights who’re getting ready for a rematch in Saudi in December and had been seen joking round at ringside on Saturday. Usyk received their first struggle in Could to grow to be the primary undisputed heavyweight champion since 2000 however vacated his IBF belt in June.
READ: Dubois knocks out Anthony Joshua to retain IBF heavyweight title
The broader plan was for Joshua to tackle Fury — reportedly there was an settlement on a double-header for the sum Fury was speaking about — or to struggle Usyk for a 3rd time, having already misplaced twice to the Ukrainian.
Now Joshua, outclassed by Dubois, appears to be like to be out of the image. Dubois is the primary in ready.
As for a possible Fury-Dubois struggle, Frank Warren — the British promoter who represents each boxers — stated that might put him in a “very, very awkward place.”
“It’s not one thing I’d push for,” Warren stated. “If there’s a suggestion made that makes a number of sense, then that’s as much as them.”
Extra probably, then, is a rematch between Dubois and Usyk, particularly if Usyk beats Fury. That might put all belts on the desk for one more struggle for the title of undisputed.
READ: Daniel Dubois says ‘my time’ for stardom in bout vs Anthony Joshua
Usyk stopped Dubois within the ninth spherical once they fought in Poland in August final yr, however solely after controversially getting time to get well from what was adjudged a low blow by Dubois within the fifth spherical.
It despatched Usyk to the canvas, the place he sat in opposition to the ropes. Replays confirmed the punch hitting round Usyk’s belt and Dubois nonetheless maintains he was robbed.
“I need to get my rematch,” Dubois stated of Usyk, “and put the flawed proper.”
There’s video of Usyk and Dubois speaking within the ring after their struggle in Wroclaw, with Usyk telling his overwhelmed challenger: “Daniel, you younger. You may. You may dream.”
Nonetheless, Usyk stated after the Dubois-Joshua struggle that he thought Joshua would win on Saturday.
“For me, it’s a shock,” stated the Ukrainian.
READ: Usyk edges Tyson Fury to grow to be undisputed heavyweight champion
Uysk stated he was solely fascinated with “Tyson Fury and the struggle and of my household and preparation” when requested if he needed to tackle Dubois once more.
Fury, it appears, has cash on his thoughts, too.
If he loses to Usyk, Fury may nonetheless struggle Joshua in what can be billed as a grudge match, but it surely wouldn’t be so interesting and there can be no belts on the road for 2 fighters now of their mid-to-late 30s.
Joshua’s status has been critically broken by the way in which he was overwhelmed up by Dubois, although the man who has been a strolling advertising phenomenon for the previous 10 years needs to struggle on.
“It’s removed from over but,” Joshua stated in a video launched on social media platform X. “We’ve achieved it as soon as, achieved it twice. Doing it a 3rd time hasn’t been straightforward however I imagine it’s one thing I can obtain.”
Emulating the likes of Muhammad Ali and Lennox Lewis and changing into a three-time heavyweight champion is perhaps past Joshua, although.
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As an alternative, the baton undoubtedly has been handed to Dubois.
