By Barry Holbrook: Promoter Frank Warren has confirmed that the undisputed clash between heavyweight champions Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will “take priority” over the WBA-ordered fight between ‘regular’ champ Daniel Dubois and Oleksandr.
The World Boxing Association ordered the Usyk vs. Dubois fight on Monday, which has led some fans to believe it’ll get in the way of the Fury-Usyk undisputed match in early 2023.
If Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs) is stuck facing Dubois (19-1, 18 KOs) in a risky fight, and could put Fury in a position where he would have to wait for his chance to fight the winner.
In that case, Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs) would need to back up his bold talk about wanting to fight WBO interim champion Joe Joyce if he doesn’t get the Usyk fight next.
Joyce (15-0, 14 KOs) might be all wrong for Fury because he’s got the size, strength, and engine to defuse Fury’s style of fighting, which involves a lot of holding & leaning.
If Joyce beats the 34-year-old Fury, it will wreck money fights for him against Usyk and Anthony Joshua. Losing to Joyce would force Fury to attempt to avenge the loss, and there’s a good chance that he would lose a rematch as well. For that reason, it’s best that Fury avoid Joyce because he’s arguably the equivalent of kryptonite for him.
“He’s next in the rotation. It’s agreed by the governing bodies. He’s next, but obviously, a unification will take precedence. It will take priority,” said Frank Warren to Queensbury Promotions about Daniel Dubois being next to challenge for the titles against the WBA champion.
“Just keep fighting. Defending his title and keep fighting,” said Warren when asked what the 25-year-old WBA ‘regular’ heavyweight champion Dubois will do while he waits for his eventual shot against Usyk or Fury.
“Him and Joe Joyce are in real good positions, both of them. They can be in some good fights next year.
“We will see,” said Warren when told that Dubois’ trainer Shane McGuigan thinks that Daniel’s recent shaky performance against Kevin Lerena will entice other fighters to want to face him.
Dubois looks vulnerable right now after being dropped three times in the first round by the smallish southpaw Lerena. That fight showed that Dubois’ punch resistance, boxing ability, and maturity aren’t what it needs to be for him to deal with the better heavyweights in the division.