Promoter Frank Warren says both Joe Joyce and Daniel Dubois will very likely fight for a world title this year, with both men currently being ranked at #1 in the rankings (Joyce top of the WBO pile, Dubois the top contender with the WBA).
For this reason, Warren said when speaking with BBC Sports, a return fight between the two will not happen any time soon. As fans know, Joyce defeated Dubois in November of 2020, stopping him late and taking his unbeaten pro record.
Warren says the rematch “is always there,” but that it will take place sometime down the line. Right now, Warren feels both Joyce, 13-0(12) and Dubois, 17-1(16), “will be in a world title fight one way or another.”
“The rematch is on our radar but it’s pointless to be doing that when both Joyce and Dubois are in number one positions,” Warren said. “It’s always a good fight between Joe Joyce and Daniel Dubois and it’s always there – and it will be better next time around because it’ll be in front of a live audience.
These guys will be in a world title fight one way or another, either against Tyson Fury [if he becomes undisputed champion] or someone else. They’re in an extremely strong position.
Everything depends on what happens with the heavyweights, whether the belts fragment or there’s a unification but they’re in good positions.”
Who has the better chance of winning a world title – Joyce or Dubois? Joyce is the older man by some way at age 36, to Dubois’ 24, but “The Juggernaut” is not a fighter who is reliant on speed or reflexes. Joyce is an extremely strong and powerful man, and as he has never been fast, to begin with, Joyce can conceivably keep on trucking for some years.
Dubois, who has picked up two quick stoppage wins since losing to Joyce, is still an enormous talent. Plenty of fans sympathized with Dubo
is due to the nasty eye injury he suffered in the Joyce defeat. Dubois is a hard worker in the gym, he is hugely ambitious and of course, he has raw punching power.
Dubois has called for a fight with Trevor Bryan, who holds a secondary version of the WBA heavyweight title. In this regard, if that fight happens, Dubois will be heavily favored to take Bryan’s belt, therefore he may beat Joyce to it as far as winning a belt.
But as Warren says, we will have to wait and see what happens with the various belts. But for sure, both Joyce and Dubois are among the best contenders in the division today.