Daniel Dubois v Joseph Parker
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Date: Saturday, 22 February
BBC Coverage: Follow radio coverage on BBC Sport website and app from 16:30 GMT, before switching to BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds and BBC Sport website at 19:30
If Daniel Dubois continues with the momentum he is on, he can definitely achieve the heights of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
Dubois is still relatively young at 27 years old, has fought at the highest level and is one of the few British fighters in contention to be the new face of boxing.
We sparred a lot in our early days. We made our professional debuts on the same day, although our previous boxing experience was vastly different with me coming through the unlicensed white-collar scene and Dubois through the more traditional amateur set-up.
It has been a good three years or so since we last sparred and he was a different Dubois back then.
He seems like he has matured, found his footing and found his self-confidence.
Winning does have a habit of doing that to you. All his experiences, the wins, the losses, the hard times and the good times, have built a level of self-belief.
There are some areas where he is still not at AJ or Fury’s level, though.
Yes, you need to do the job in the ring and knock people out in emphatic fashion and all of the rest, but there is a level of prowess and speech – the star power – that you need to become the head of the division, a title Fury and AJ have both held over the past few years.
AJ and Fury are polar opposites in terms of how their star power works or how they behave. With AJ it’s that calm, cool, confident, down-to-earth chilled guy. With Fury, he’s louder, braggadocious, entertaining.
Dubois is a quiet guy but he is becoming a bit of a character with his one-liners. He will develop his own version of what that star power looks like, because that personality can come in so many different shapes and sizes.
In order to get to that level, though, he needs to get past a tough Joseph Parker – which is no easy task.
There is a case to be made for both fighters. Dubois’ confidence and power, and his willingness to throw down against a resurgent fighter who has seen it and done it all.
Dubois faces tall task of Usyk if he beats Parker
In boxing, there is always a point to prove with someone. There will be some people who will still look at Dubois’ loss to Joe Joyce in 2020 and say there are flaws there.
Dubois’ defeat by Oleksandr Usyk is not one to be ashamed of in any way, though there will be people who will pick singular actions from that loss and see how they transfer into the Parker fight.
But there are so many positives to take from Dubois’ career too. Just look at his performances against Filip Hrgovic, Jarrell Miller and Joshua.
A win for Dubois would set up the rematch with Usyk, this time for all four world titles.
To bet against Usyk in any moment right now feels silly. He has proven himself against AJ and Fury twice. It would not be too much of a stretch to say he can prove himself against Dubois twice over.
Usyk just always finds a way to win and he can learn even in the middle of a fight. I am not saying Dubois would have no chance whatsoever, but I do think it would be a tall task.
Before we even begin entertaining those undisputed title conversations, though, Dubois must get past a very confident Parker who is desperate to become a two-time world champion.
Resurgent Parker one of boxing’s good guys
There was talk of me challenging Dubois in Riyadh. Boxing is a funny game and things do not always come together. There are always discussions of every option going on in the background.
I am a very game and up-for-it kind of guy. If the opportunity had presented itself fully I would have grabbed it with both hands.
It wasn’t my go this time but I am so happy to see Parker get his shot. He’s definitely one of the nice guys in boxing – a great laugh and fun to be around.
Even before I was making any waves on the big stage in boxing, when I was fighting lower on cards, he’d always stop, make time and say hello.
He is on a roll with wins over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang, and so much of that is down to his trainer Andy Lee. It shows what a good relationship with a great coach can do.
I also like how Parker has handled himself in the build-up, showing Dubois respect but also letting him know that he is a seasoned pro who has weathered storms in the past.
It is going to be a great fight. Both of them had a bit of a drop-off in their careers and then a massive rise. Right now they are both on a tremendous high and it is too hard to confidently pick a winner.
