The Quote
Right then. Daniel Dubois has barely wiped the sweat off after stopping Fabio Wardley in two rounds and he is already looking at the biggest name in the sport. He has told reporters he wants a trilogy with Oleksandr Usyk, the man who has beaten him twice, and his line was “we’re coming out on top this time”.
I love the ambition. I just do not think he is anywhere near it yet.
What Warren Is Saying
Frank Warren has been busy too. He says at least one heavyweight unification is on its way in the first quarter of next year, that a new undisputed champion could be crowned in around 18 months, and that 2027 will be a “phenomenal year” for the division. Dubois, he says, wants all four belts.
Fine. But let’s not beat around the bush: the heavyweight landscape is a traffic jam right now. Filip Hrgovic has a mandatory against Frank Sanchez. Agit Kabayel fights in Germany in November. And Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua meet in December for the WBA “super” title. Everyone has a lane, and Usyk is in the fast one.
Kabayel Is The Sensible Fight
Dubois was asked about Kabayel and was open to it, though he also said he will take whichever opponent pays the most. That is honest, and it is also a problem. A WBO champion does not get to pick whichever man is richest and expect to hold all the credibility.
Dubois against Kabayel is a proper heavyweight fight. Two big punchers and a proper title picture at stake. That is the one I want, and it is the one Warren should be making.
Why The Trilogy Does Not Stack Up
Two fights, two defeats. Stopping Wardley in two rounds is brilliant, but it does not change what Usyk did to him twice. Until Dubois proves he can beat the very best in the division rather than a domestic rival, the trilogy is a headline and nothing more.
Usyk has the leverage, and he knows it. A third fight only happens when it suits him, and I cannot see it suiting him before he has dealt with the rest of the queue.
Luke’s Verdict
Dubois looked a different animal against Wardley, and he deserves every bit of credit for it. But talk of belts and trilogies is premature. Make him take a unification first, and then we talk about Usyk.
My prediction: Dubois fights Kabayel or the next mandatory before he sees Usyk again, and if the trilogy does happen, Usyk wins it comfortably.
Keep up with the heavyweight picture on our news page and the full card list on the fight schedule.