Daniel Dubois, heart, celebrates victory towards Anthony Joshua, not pictured, within the IBF World Heavyweight bout at Wembley Stadium, in London, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (Bradley Collyer/PA through AP)
Tyson Fury seemed 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 pal at ringside on Saturday evening.
READ: ‘Warrior’ Anthony Joshua vows to combat on regardless of Dubois mauling
Perhaps Fury vs. Joshua — the long-awaited heavyweight combat that boxing’s new overlords in Saudi Arabia had reportedly been planning — would possibly by no means occur.
As a substitute, it’s Dubois, one other British fighter, who has muscled his approach onto the game’s high desk.
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Given his age, he could possibly be there to remain.
The 27-year-old Dubois may 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, presently the 2 main powers among the many heavyweights who’re making ready for a rematch in Saudi in December and had been seen joking round at ringside on Saturday. Usyk received their first combat in Might to change into 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 combat Usyk for a 3rd time, having already misplaced twice to the Ukrainian.
Now Joshua, outclassed by Dubois, seems to be out of the image. Dubois is the primary in ready.
As for a possible Fury-Dubois combat, 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 might push for,” Warren stated. “If there’s a proposal made that makes numerous sense, then that’s as much as them.”
Extra seemingly, then, is a rematch between Dubois and Usyk, particularly if Usyk beats Fury. That may put all belts on the desk for one more combat 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 after they fought in Poland in August final yr, however solely after controversially getting time to recuperate from what was adjudged a low blow by Dubois within the fifth spherical.
It despatched Usyk to the canvas, the place he sat towards 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 mistaken proper.”
There’s video of Usyk and Dubois speaking within the ring after their combat in Wroclaw, with Usyk telling his crushed challenger: “Daniel, you younger. You may. You may dream.”
Nonetheless, Usyk stated after the Dubois-Joshua combat that he thought Joshua would win on Saturday.
“For me, it’s a shock,” stated the Ukrainian.
READ: Usyk edges Tyson Fury to change into undisputed heavyweight champion
Uysk stated he was solely fascinated by “Tyson Fury and the combat 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 might nonetheless combat 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 popularity has been critically broken by the best way he was crushed up by Dubois, although the man who has been a strolling advertising and marketing phenomenon for the previous 10 years needs to combat on.
“It’s removed from over but,” Joshua stated in a video launched on social media platform X. “We’ve completed it as soon as, completed 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 turning into a three-time heavyweight champion could be past Joshua, although.
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As a substitute, the baton undoubtedly has been handed to Dubois.
