
Daniel Dubois given green light to make voluntary defense of IBF heavyweight title
Daniel Dubois has until April 22, 2025, to make voluntary defense of his IBF heavyweight title
Anthony Joshua: record, next fight and profile →

Daniel Dubois has until April 22, 2025, to make voluntary defense of his IBF heavyweight title

It may not grab many headlines, but the routine way in which Junaid Bostan swept aside Argentina’s Maico Sommariva inside three rounds in Manchester on Saturday night was quietly impressive.

Jarrell Miller has warned Anthony Joshua he is risking the end of his career if he fights Daniel Dubois. Joshua, 35, was emphatically stopped in five rounds by Dubois in their fight for the IBF heavyweight title at Wembley Stadium in September and is expecting to challenge him again in a rematch in 2025.

The heavyweight division has been white-hot over the last year, largely thanks to Saudi Arabia’s investment in boxing. Riyadh Season has already hosted eight showcase cards over the last year around the world, with another one set for December 21.

Each sport has its own set of unspoken rules, customs that are not to be violated lest you reveal yourself as a pretender or mere casual fan, but no code requires a morality check like that of boxing. With little regard for the sheer bravery it takes just to climb into the ring, fighters can be criticized for not running straight into the toughest bouts possible, for getting hit too much, for not getting hit enough (because this simply isn’t sufficiently entertaining), for not showing a great chin (though this isn’t a factor fighters can fully control), for retiring too early, for retiring too late, for giving inconsiderate interviews despite being concussed, and just about anything else you can think of.

We tackle your thoughts on a fight that has just been announced (David Benavidez-David Morrell), one that’s being imagined (Nick Ball-Naoya Inoue), one that has been ordered (Janibek Alimkhanuly-Hamzah Sheeraz) and one that should have happened (Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua).

It would be “a travesty” if Tyson Fury never fights Anthony Joshua, said the ‘Gypsy King’.

Women's boxing historian Malissa Smith offered her perspective on Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in the sport and its implications for female fighters as the country prepares to host another bout featuring women on October 12.

For a coach, perhaps the only thing better than a fight going exactly as expected is for the same fight to end up being even easier than they expected, or indeed hoped.

Don Charles wears a familiar bright white sports cap, but even the shadow that falls over his face can’t hide his beaming smile