Joseph Parker will attempt to become a two-time heavyweight champion on February 22, challenging IBF beltholder Daniel Dubois in their joint bout on the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2 undercard in Riyadh.
Parker's return
Former WBO heavyweight champion Parker (35-3, 23 KO) has turned his career around recently, beating Deontay Wilder and 40-year-old Zhili Zhang in back-to-back fights to earn that title shot against Dubois (22-2, 21 KO) on the card. Turki Al-Sheikh.
Dubois is in his prime, powerful and dangerous. This won't be the piece of cake Parker has had in his last two fights against seniors. It's a great story that Parker changes careers, but this time he's up against a little live dog. Dubois is not over the hill.
If Parker had a better chin, he would have a good chance to win, but he doesn't throw punches well, as we saw in his last fight against Zhang on March 8, 2024. Parker was knocked down twice in that fight.
A win for Dubois would put him in position to face unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed championship. This will be a rematch of their bout two years ago on August 26, 2023, which Dubois lost via ninth-round knockout in Wroclaw, Poland. He had dropped Usyk earlier in the fight in the fifth round with a body shot, but the referee said it was a low blow. It didn't seem low to many fans.
“Don't count your chickens out. I don't think Daniel DuBois will necessarily beat Joseph Parker,” Eddie Hearn told DAZN.
Hearn said he wants Jay Opitaya to fight Usyk for his belts. It wouldn't be good for Eddie if Dubois defeated Parker and faced Usyk next because that would ruin his plans for the Usyk-Obitaya fight. It will be interesting to see what Hearn thinks about the Dubois-Parker fight because he will have a lot to gain if Dubois loses.
Ring rust
“By the time the fight comes around, I will have been out of the ring for a year (11 months).” It doesn't affect me. “I've been training, and now I have a big fight, I want to show something different in the ring,” Joseph Parker said. EFL TV About his match against Dubois.
“I want to show smoothness, aggression, strength and speed. “I want to show it all,” Parker continued. “There's a lot at stake. I've had the opportunity to fight for the belt again. There's a difference between fighting for the title then (December 10, 2016, against Andy Ruiz Jr.) and winning it (the WBO heavyweight title). If I win With it now, I'll appreciate it more, and I want to hold on to it.
“Now, I'm living life, and I love what I do. At that time, I was just learning about myself and my life. I had a belt and a little money, and I enjoyed myself. Now, I have a wife and kids, and I'm much more mature. Winning this (IBF title) “I want to stick with it and then move on to bigger and better things,” Parker said.
Being out of the ring for 11 months is not the good thing 32-year-old Parker is trying to portray as he did not look great in his last fight. He's facing a young, energetic fighter named Dubois, and it's going to be tough for him.
Parker didn't say why he hasn't been fighting in the past 11 months, but it's possible the money just wasn't there to stay active. He's had a great few days in his last two fights against Zhilei Zhang and Deontay Wilder. Parker needs top fighters like Dubois to continue getting the same type of dough.
Parker KO predictions
“I think I can (knockout Dubois), but he showed a good chin, showed grit and determination and fought when it got tough, but I think I can,” Parker said of his belief he can beat Dubois.
It's unlikely Parker will come close to beating Dubois on February 22, and if he tries, it will end badly for him. With the way Parker has turned his fighting style into a skilled boxer, he's not in the pocket long enough to score knockouts.
That's why his last fight went the distance of 12 rounds against Zhilei Zhang and Deontay Wilder. Parker was fortunate to get the decision against Zhang in his last fight on March 8th, where he was down twice and needed to box to survive.
The biggest heavyweight fight of the year so far. February 22. Dubois vs Parker in Riyadh 🔥🥊#Riyadh_Season #duboisvparker pic.twitter.com/ARlMuqbucZ
– Turki Al-Sheikh (@Turki_alalshikh) January 4, 2025
