Parker ready for ‘anyone’ as Dubois replacement heads to Riyadh for heavyweight bout
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Joseph Parker came to Saudi Arabia to try to win the IBF heavyweight title from Daniel Dubois.
Instead, Parker has turned his attention to Congolese heavyweight Martin Bakole after Dubois reportedly withdrew from Saturday’s fight because of a medical issue. Bakole was a last-minute replacement.
“The show goes on. It’s not even just in boxing, but it’s in life,” Parker told Sky Sports. “Things happen, you just have to adjust and adapt to the situation.”
Dubois’ promoter, Frank Warren, hadn’t confirmed the champion’s status ahead of Friday’s weigh-in but said Thursday night that Dubois was “being evaluated by a doctor.”
Bakole posted a video on his Instagram account Friday to say he was awaiting a flight from Kinshasa in Congo.
“I’m on my way,” said Bakole, whose itinerary included a stop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. “I can’t wait. I think I will shock the world tomorrow. A boxer is like a soldier, anytime they ask you to go to war, always be ready.”
Even though there’s no shot at a world title Saturday, the Parker-Bakole winner would be in line to fight Oleksandr Usyk for the Ukrainian’s WBO belt. The WBO announced the winner would become the mandatory challenger.
“I said it before, I’ll fight anyone and everyone, doesn’t matter who it is,” Parker said. “Thanks to Martin for putting up his hand. He’s a tough fighter. I look forward to that challenge.”
Parker (35-3, 23 KOs) is a former WBO champion. The New Zealander won the belt in December 2016 when he beat Andy Ruiz and lost it to Anthony Joshua 15 months later.
Bakole (21-1, 16 KOs) weighed over 280 pounds in his most recent fight when he stopped Jared Anderson in the fifth round last August in Los Angeles.
Dubois was hoping to win and then take on Usyk later this year. He made his first title defense last September with a brutal fifth-round knockout of Joshua in front of 96,000 fans at Wembley Stadium.
The London resident became the titleholder three months earlier when the IBF belt was vacated by Usyk.
Saturday’s main attraction is the rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. Beterbiev became the undisputed light-heavyweight world champion after a contentious points decision over Bivol in October.
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