His first part of the year has been dross, January and February obviously were scratched. The Chris Bourke vs Marc Leech British title fight is very good albeit only a next gen show. The Wembley Arena card was unlucky with Callum Johnson meant to be heading in a solid match up before injury. The new headline fight is a shocker but hopefully sets David Avenesyan for the world title eliminator in the summer. He has been quite unlucky with Joe Joyce meaning to fight but breaking his wrist, Daniel Dubois cannot go out until the WBA ruling with Bryant. Anthony Yarde has also been waiting for the Smith decision. Zach Parker also was due to fight in April but the Eliminator delayed that. With the potential headlines of Fury vs Whyte Dubois vs Char Parker vs Andrade Joe Joyce vs ? Anthony Yarde vs ? All for headline events fingers crossed his schedule picks up, as it has been very poor.
Dubois can go out. He’s a young lad waiting to rebuild his career. I think it’s mad that they’re letting him waste away whilst they wait for a decision for a paper title.
It wasn't a paper title for you when Joshua beat "former heavyweight World Champion" Alexander Povetkin.
I’ve never described him as that in my life. Look at the authenticity of that belt. It’s pathetic. https://boxrec.com/en/title/41/Heavyweight Dubois needs to rebuild his career, his style and develop skills. Not wait round so absolutely nobody but his dad and Frank call him a world champion.
Is the problem now, and I agree the belt is a waste of time. That he will become mandatory for the actual one by winning it?
Is he ready to become mandatory for the big one? Definitely not yet if you ask me. He’s had 3 rounds in nearly 18 months since losing to Joyce. Trevor Bryan would be what? Another 2? Will he have learned enough from these fights, developed, or gained enough experience from them to go and take on Tyson Fury, Usyk or Joshua?
I suppose depending how the belts split up, you could end up with an easy enough shot at a vacant belt?
The belt is an utter joke - I agree. Actually, it's probably my biggest pet peeve in boxing. Promoters and broadcasters bill it as a legitimate world title only when it suits. Fans are too gullible, though, and also support the belt as a functioning "world title" when it suits. Lucas Browne said that it was the same belt Muhammad Ali won, which is nonsense. He won the WBA Heavyweight Championship, which is now referred to as WBA (super). A governing body can't have two legitimate world title belts. The fact that there are multiple governing bodies is bad enough as it is.
Joyce v Parker is apparently being negotiated for a BT box office event. I think he’s trying to book Dubois v Bryan for the Wembley chief Support. Fingers crossed both come off
Joyce Parker is a very good fight. But again the Dubois vs Bryan fight is pathetic (if you take away the title). It’s honestly one or two rounds.
Agreed. With my biased hat on here though, the more title belts (even the paper ones) in British hands the better. We seem to be in a golden era of British heavyweight boxing - and long may it continue. I know Boxrec isn't perfect, but 7 of their top 22 heavyweights are British. The more belts they hold, the better chance they have of being called for vacant belts. (These might become very relevant if Usyk isn't available to rematch Joshua in the next few months.)
