Daniel Dubois’ rematch with Anthony Joshua hangs in the balance, with the IBF world heavyweight champion now considering alternative options.
The pair’s first encounter ended in destructive fashion last month, when Daniel Dubois scored a stunning fifth-round finish over his domestic rival.
Since then, Anthony Joshua has expressed an interest in exacting revenge on his countryman but, seemingly, has now ruled himself out of a potential showdown in February.
The two-time heavyweight champion’s promoter, Matchroom Boxing boss Eddie Hearn, has insisted that his fighter needs more time to recover before returning to the ring.
That said, Queensberry Promotions boss Frank Warren has confirmed that Dubois will nonetheless defend his title in February, regardless of whether it is against Joshua.
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Daniel Dubois welcomes a potential clash with Fabio Wardley
The IBF have ordered a final eliminator between Martin Bakole and Agit Kabayel to decide Dubois’ mandatory challenger, with purse bids set to take place on November 5.
In the meantime, though, the newly-crowned champion is free to make a voluntary defense of his trinket against someone within the sanctioning body’s top 15 rankings.
And so, unbeaten heavyweight contender Fabio Wardley has been mentioned as a potential dance partner for the 27-year-old.
Wardley comes off a brutal first-round stoppage over Frazer Clarke in their rematch, immediately after the pair went toe-to-toe in a highly contentious 12-round draw.
With his pulverizing power and fan-friendly style, the 29-year-old has now become one of the most talked-about operators in his division.
But, when asked about a possible clash with Wardley, Dubois responded with a very broad and generalized message to any contender wishing to dethrone him.
“Bring them all on, all these contenders,” Dubois told talkSPORT. “If it makes sense, they can all get a piece.
“I’m on form now and my confidence is right up there. I’m on top of the world right now. So whoever I have got to destroy and take out of their misery we will do it.”
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Fans react to a potential fight between Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley
While Wardley is undoubtedly an intriguing proposition, other heavyweights within the Queensberry stable – such as Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang – could make for exciting matchups against Dubois too.
Given the many options available to Dubois, then, there has largely been a mixed reaction from boxing fans.
In response to the potential Wardley fight, one fan said: “Started to quite like Wardley but Dubois beats him very easily.”
Another fan added: “Parker is the much better option.”
Someone else said: “Big step up for Wardley but wouldn’t write him off.”