Daniel Dubois pulled out his fight with Joseph Parker (Image: Getty Images)
Daniel Dubois was forced to pull out of his heavyweight title defence against Joseph Parker with a viral infection, his dad Stan has revealed. The highly anticipated bout in Riyadh was derailed just days before it was set to take place, as Britain’s ‘Triple D’ fell ill, leading to the unfortunate withdrawal from the fight against New Zealand’s Parker.
Despite the setback, Dubois had been active in the media buildup, attending the grand arrivals and a public workout earlier in the week. Parker’s slot on the card remained intact, with Martin Bakole stepping up to the challenge, but he couldn’t upset the odds as Parker secured a second-round knockout victory.
Fresh off his win, the 33 year old Kiwi didn’t waste any time in calling out Oleksandr Usyk for a fight. However, he might have to be patient. Dubois Sr. , speaking to Ring Magazine, insists that it’s Usyk next on their agenda following Daniel’s recovery from illness. “Next, he wants Usyk, it’s frustrating about the Parker fight but he couldn’t fight with an infection. Usyk is who we’re going after next,” stated Stan.
He also recounted how the week had been progressing well until the sudden onset of Daniel’s illness: “Fight week was going well until he became ill. Everything was perfect, then he started feeling unwell a couple days before. He had a virus, he had swollen glands and an ear infection so the doctor told him ‘I wouldn’t fight if I was you’ he said ‘you can fight, but after three rounds you’ll be feeling it’.
“He’s had these problems before, swollen glands, viral infection, it’s been happening for about eight years and they usually last three of four days but he’s been alright after that. With this it was just bad timing that it happened two days before the fight. Obviously it was very frustrating for him and us.”
The financial implications of his condition are significant, with CasinoHawks estimating a loss of £8million for the boxer, including missed fight earnings, training camp costs, and potential sponsorship deals. CasinoHawks reported that Dubois was expected to earn £2.5million from the fight alone. Additionally, he lost out on approximately £4m in PPV shares.
A high-quality training camp, lasting 8-12 weeks, can incur expenses ranging from £200,000 to £400,000, covering coaches and trainers (£80,000+), sparring partners (£40,000+), travel and accommodation (£40,000 – if held abroad), and other costs such as supplements, recovery, logistics, and management fees (£40,000+).
Regarding sponsorships and future negotiations, brands such as Adidas, Boxraw, 32Red, and Footasylum may have had agreements concerning fight-week exposure and TV appearances. This could mean that ‘Triple D’ might lose out on six-figure bonuses or ‘activation incentives.’ CasinoHawks suggests that ‘future fight negotiations may be affected if promoters and sponsors perceive him as a higher-risk investment’.