LONDON: Tyson Fury looked as stunned as everyone else inside Wembley Stadium after witnessing Daniel Dubois dismantle Anthony Joshua in the latest shake-up of boxing’s heavyweight division.
Except Fury had other things on his mind.
“Listen, that’s cost me 150 million,” Fury, scratching his head, shouted to a friend at ringside on Saturday night.
Maybe Fury vs. Joshua — the long-awaited heavyweight fight that boxing officials had reportedly been planning — might never happen.
Instead, it’s Dubois, another British fighter, who has muscled his way onto the sport’s top table.
Given his age, he could be there to stay.
The 27-year-old Dubois might have the boxing world at his feet after a brutal fifth-round knockout of Joshua that not only legitimized his status as the IBF titleholder but made plenty sit up and take notice.
That included Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, currently the two major powers among the heavyweights who are preparing for a rematch in the Kingdom in December and were seen joking around at ringside on Saturday. Usyk won their first fight in May to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 2000, but vacated his IBF belt in June.
The wider plan was for Joshua to take on Fury — reportedly there was an agreement on a double-header for the sum Fury was talking about — or to fight Usyk for a third time, having already lost twice to the Ukrainian.
Now Joshua, outclassed by Dubois, looks to be out of the picture. Dubois is the main in waiting.
As for a potential Fury-Dubois fight, Frank Warren — the British promoter who represents both boxers — said that would put him in a “very, very awkward position.”
“It’s not something I would push for,” Warren said. “If there’s an offer made that makes a lot of sense, then that’s up to them.”
More likely, then, is a rematch between Dubois and Usyk, especially if Usyk beats Fury. That would put all belts on the table for another fight for the title of undisputed.
Usyk stopped Dubois in the ninth round when they fought in Poland in August last year, but only after controversially getting time to recover from what was adjudged a low blow by Dubois in the fifth round.
It sent Usyk to the canvas, where he sat against the ropes. Replays showed the punch hitting around Usyk’s belt and Dubois still maintains he was robbed.
“I want to get my rematch,” Dubois said of Usyk, “and put the wrong right.”
There’s video of Usyk and Dubois talking in the ring after their fight in Wroclaw, with Usyk telling his beaten challenger: “Daniel, you young. You can. You can dream.”
Still, Usyk said after the Dubois-Joshua fight that he thought Joshua would win on Saturday.
“For me, it’s a surprise,” said the Ukrainian.
Uysk said he was only thinking about “Tyson Fury and the fight and of my family and preparation” when asked if he wanted to take on Dubois again.
Fury, it seems, has money on his mind, too.
If he loses to Usyk, Fury could still fight Joshua in what would be billed as a grudge match, but it wouldn’t be so appealing and there would be no belts on the line for two fighters now in their mid-to-late 30s.
Joshua’s reputation has been seriously damaged by the way he was beaten up by Dubois, though the guy who has been a walking marketing phenomenon for the past 10 years wants to fight on.
“It’s far from over yet,” Joshua said in a video released on social media platform X. “We’ve done it once, done it twice. Doing it a third time hasn’t been easy but I believe it’s something I can achieve.”
Emulating the likes of Muhammad Ali and Lennox Lewis and becoming a three-time heavyweight champion might be beyond Joshua, though.
Instead, the baton undoubtedly has been passed to Dubois.
Dubois changes perceptions and muscles onto the top table of heavyweights, wants Usyk next
https://arab.news/mh62c
Dubois changes perceptions and muscles onto the top table of heavyweights, wants Usyk next
- Fury vs. Joshua — the long-awaited heavyweight fight that boxing officials had reportedly been planning — might never happen
Learning every day: Kuwait players reflect on DP World ILT20 season 4
- ‘To play alongside players like Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran and Jonny Bairstow is a very big moment for me,’ says Mohammed Shafeeq of MI Emirates
DUBAI: Season four of the DP World ILT20 marked a significant step in the league’s regional development efforts, with players from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia earning selection at the first ever auction and featuring across all six franchises.
Each team acquired at least one player from the two countries, offering emerging cricketers the opportunity to train and compete alongside some of the world’s leading players.
The DP World ILT20 season four ended on Jan. 4, with the Desert Vipers overcoming the MI Emirates to secure their first title.
Speaking over the course of the tournament, the Kuwait players reflected on their experiences and the opportunity to work alongside established international cricketers.
Captain of the Kuwait cricket team, Mohamed Aslam, said: “It’s a great opportunity for me to represent Sharjah Warriorz in the DP World ILT20, and we are getting a lot of experience in the dressing room.
He said he was sharing the dressing room with “leaders like Tim Southee and Sikandar Raza. I have gotten a lot of information from them and learned many things by asking questions.
“As an associate cricket player, this is a very good opportunity. I hope to apply all of this in Kuwait and do our best.”
Mohammed Shafeeq became the first player from Kuwait or Saudi Arabia to feature in a DP World ILT20 fixture when he played for the MI Emirates against the Dubai Capitals.
“The support from the coaching staff has been amazing because this is a completely different feeling for us. It will help us in the future, as the coaches are always watching us and giving technical inputs.”
“It is a very big moment for me to be part of this team and to play alongside players like Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran and Jonny Bairstow,” he added.
“All of them are top players and operate at different levels. They consider us for every match, and that means a lot to me.”
The Dubai Capitals’ Anudeep Chenthamara said: “I would like to thank the Kuwait Cricket Board and DP World ILT20 for giving me this opportunity, it is a big one for me and the whole team.
“There has been a lot of experience and learning over here. We have worked with experienced players and coaches; I have been able to work on many things from the basics to the higher level. For example, I have changed the base of my run-up.”
Echoing these sentiments, the Gulf Giants’ Meet Bhavsar, who has played 73 T20Is for Kuwait, said: “It’s been a great experience to share the dressing room with the superstars of modern-day cricket.
“Facing somebody like Tabraiz Shamsi in the nets has been really challenging and helped me immensely. I will try to share as much as I can with the rest of the Kuwait team, and I am grateful for the chance to be here.”
Representing the Desert Vipers, Bilal Tahir said: “We are learning a lot every day. We have very good coaches, a great environment, and the style of teaching really helps us improve.
“Playing with these stars is a dream for us because they are legends, and we learn so much from them. Just the other day in the nets, Fakhar Zaman told me how to improve certain things. I am very thankful to the Desert Vipers for giving us this opportunity.”
Adnan Idrees, whose services were secured by the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, added: “It’s a great experience and I’m really enjoying my time here.
“Learning from legends is always a blessing, and sharing the dressing room with players like Andre Russell, Jason Holder, Phil Salt and Liam Livingstone makes me feel my game will improve a lot.
“I keep getting tips from them about staying focused on my game, and I’ve learned a lot already. They are gems as people and as cricketers, and it’s a joy to share the dressing room with them.
“I feel blessed to be part of the DP World ILT20 and hope more players get the chance to come here.”
