Daniel Dubois vs Joseph Parker being explored for January 30 in England, The Ring reports
WBO heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois could defend against Joseph Parker on January 30 in London or Manchester, sources told The Ring. Nothing has been announced.
Daniel Dubois vs Joseph Parker, the heavyweight fight that fell apart in fight week in February 2025, is back on the table. The Ring reported on Wednesday, October 28, that a WBO heavyweight title fight between champion Dubois and former WBO champion Parker is being explored for January 30 in England, citing sources. According to The Ring, the fight is likely to land at either the O2 Arena in London or Co-op Live in Manchester.
This is a report, not an announcement. Neither the fighters nor Queensberry Promotions have confirmed the fight, and The Ring said the January 30 working date is subject to change.
What The Ring reported
"Daniel Dubois vs Joseph Parker is being explored for January 30th in England, sources have told The Ring," the outlet posted on X. "The WBO heavyweight title fight could be staged in London or Manchester."
In the full story, written by Declan Taylor, The Ring said Queensberry is already working on Dubois' next fight and that, according to its sources, Parker is one of the names in the frame to face him. Parker is ranked No. 6 by the WBO.
The Ring also explained why a non-unification defence makes sense for Dubois now. The other belts are tied up: IBF champion Filip Hrgovic is set to face mandatory challenger Frank Sanchez in Croatia early next year, WBC champion Agit Kabayel defends against Nelson Hysa on November 28 in Duesseldorf, and the vacant WBA "super" title will be on the line when Tyson Fury meets Anthony Joshua on December 11 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff. According to The Ring, Dubois wants to become undisputed champion in 2027, but will likely have to wait until at least the second half of the year for a unification fight.
On October 20, promoter Frank Warren told talkSPORT that Dubois would "fight in February" and named Kabayel and Hrgovic as options, but said no decision had been made.
Dubois: two wins over Wardley in five months
Dubois (24-3, 23 KOs) made the first defence of his WBO title on October 17 at the O2 Arena, stopping Fabio Wardley at 2:21 of the second round of their rematch, according to The Ring. Dubois dropped Wardley 17 seconds into the fight, and Wardley's trainer Ben Davison threw in the towel in round 2. Dubois had won the title from Wardley on May 9 at Co-op Live in Manchester with an 11th-round stoppage after being dropped in the opening seconds.
The fight that never happened
Dubois and Parker were first booked for February 22, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with Dubois' IBF title on the line on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol 2. Dubois withdrew two days before the fight after falling ill, and Martin Bakole flew in from the Democratic Republic of Congo as a short-notice replacement. Parker knocked Bakole out at 2:17 of the second round to retain the WBO interim title.
Parker's long layoff
Parker (36-4, 24 KOs), 34, has not boxed since Wardley stopped him in the 11th round of their WBO interim title fight at the O2 Arena in October 2025. The Ring said the layoff has largely been due to a failed UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) test taken in the hours after that fight, which returned an adverse finding for benzoylecgonine, a cocaine metabolite. Parker denied knowingly taking the substance. UKAD lifted his suspension in August, and it was confirmed then that Parker said the result came from exposure to cocaine used by his nutritionist, The Ring reported.
Parker won the WBO title by beating Andy Ruiz Jr in December 2016 and lost it to Anthony Joshua in March 2018.
Parker's name had also come up for the Fury vs Joshua undercard. On October 26, British heavyweight Frazer Clarke told The Sun he had said yes to a fight with Parker on the December 11 card in Cardiff, but admitted talks had "gone a bit quiet". That fight was never confirmed, and The Ring's report does not mention it.
What's confirmed and what isn't
- Confirmed: Dubois holds the WBO heavyweight title after stopping Wardley on October 17.
- Reported by The Ring: Dubois vs Parker is being explored for January 30, likely at the O2 Arena or Co-op Live.
- Not confirmed: no contract, date, venue or broadcaster has been announced.
Source: The Ring on X: Dubois vs Parker being explored for January 30 in England, The Ring: Dubois-Parker being explored for January 30 in England, The Ring: Dubois destroys Wardley, records 2nd-round TKO in rematch, BBC Sport: Dubois destroys Wardley in two rounds to retain title, talkSPORT: Frank Warren confirms when Daniel Dubois will return after Fabio Wardley stoppage, The Guardian: Daniel Dubois pulls out of world title fight with Joseph Parker due to illness, BoxingScene: Joseph Parker flattens Martin Bakole in two rounds, Sky Sports: Wardley to defend WBO title against Dubois at Co-op Live on May 9, The Sun: Frazer Clarke on Joseph Parker fight for Fury-Joshua undercard.