Daniel Dubois has finally reached the pinnacle of boxing, becoming the IBF heavyweight champion with a landmark win over British rival Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium in September 2024—knocking out ‘AJ’ in the fifth round after a dominant performance.
‘Triple D’ will defend his title for the first time against New Zealand’s Joseph Parker in Saudi Arabia on February 22, and Dubois is the heavy favourite to retain his belt in the Dubois Parker odds at 2/5 while a win by KO/TKO is 4/5.
It’s been a remarkable journey to world title glory for the now 27-year-old. Once tipped as Britain’s hottest prospect in British boxing, Dubois caused a stir when dropping out of the 2020 Olympics to turn professional and sign for Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions.
Triple D lived up to his explosive reputation as he rose through the ranks and started to make a name for himself, winning all but one of his 15 pro fights by KO/TKO—rarely having to go further than the second round against his opponents.
In those whirlwind three years, Dubois picked up the British, Commonwealth, WBC Silver, and WBO International heavyweight titles, which he put on the line against fellow Brit Joe Joyce in one of the most highly anticipated events of the global pandemic.
The boxing betting hugely favoured Dubois against his older rival behind closed doors at Church House in London, but few could have predicted what would happen next—with Triple D admitting he panicked when taking a knee and failing to beat the count in the 10th round of the brutal contest.
Related: Dubois Knocks Out Joshua To Retain World Title
The knock-on effect was monumental for Dubois, with boxing fans and pundits alike branding him a quitter. He was forced to rebuild with fights that didn’t garner that much media attention or fanfare—two of which were on the undercard of events headlined by influencer Jake Paul.
Given the heat he received after his disappointing defeat to Joyce, it might not have been a bad thing for Dubois that he was buried on undercards but still able to build confidence with four straightforward wins—including winning and defending the WBA Regular heavyweight title.
It also helped him throw himself back into the spotlight and the headlines, as Dubois built himself up to become the mandatory challenger for Oleksandr Usyk’s IBF world title. Triple D ultimately suffered his second career defeat against the unified Ukrainian with a ninth-round KO.
However, this time, Dubois had no shame in defeat. He fought admirably against Usyk and was arguably hard done by when his blow to the torso sent ‘The Cat’ to the canvas in the fifth round, only for the referee to deem it a low blow.
His confidence didn’t take a knock either. Dubois has only grown strength by strength with each passing bout, bouncing back by beating Jarrell Miller before landing the IBF interim heavyweight title with a victory over Filip Hrgovic—two top opponents.
What happened next was the crowning moment for Dubois, though. Facing Joshua at Wembley, the 27-year-old rose to the occasion, fighting on the front foot from the first bell and humiliating the former undisputed champion in front of 90,000 spectators at the iconic venue.
His fight against Parker in Saudi next month is his next big test. Both fighters have rejuvenated their respective careers and neither will want to suffer further setbacks, but Dubois will want to prove that he’s the next king of British boxing—especially with Fury announcing retirement and AJ past his peak.
