A while back, it was reported how the folks at the IBF, having seen both Moses Itauma and Richard Torrez decline to take a heavyweight final eliminator with Frank Sanchez, turned to a Sanchez-Daniel Dubois heavyweight matchup. The two sides failed to come to a deal before the October 22 deadline, however, and now, as has been reported by Ring Magazine, Sanchez-Dubois will go out to purse bids, this on November 13th.
This is an interesting fight, and it will also prove interesting seeing which fighter’s team puts in the winning bid. For Sanchez, a win would, on paper at least, see the Cuban get a shot at unified, four-belt heavyweight champ Oleksandr Usyk. For Dubois, a win would, on paper, see the big-hitting Brit earn a third fight with Usyk. But which man would fans be most interested in seeing get in there with Usyk: Sanchez or Dubois?
Sanchez or Dubois: Who Deserves the Next Shot?
Dubois was stopped in both of his previous challenges of Usyk, so a third fight would be one heck of a tough sell. Sanchez, who has bounced back after his sole career loss, this to Agit Kabayel, might be seen as a fighter who could give Usyk something different to think about in a fight.
Again, let’s see who wins the rights to Sanchez-Dubois and when and where the fight winds up taking place. In the meantime, who will Usyk fight next? With Fabio Wardley at the head of the line due to the fact that a WBO mandatory is next due in the rotation, Wardley, who stopped Joseph Parker to become the #1 contender with the organisation, is expected by the fans to be Usyk’s next challenger.
Usyk, who recently said he aims to box until the age of 41, could potentially end up fighting Wardley, the Sanchez-Dubois winner, and maybe another guy across 2026. But can anyone out there defeat Usyk?