Anthony Joshua’s route in the heavyweight division is a little hazy after Carl Froch’s warning to Daniel Dubois following his impressive victory over Filip Hrgovic.
Carl Froch’s delight at Daniel Dubois potentially facing Zhilei Zhang has put Anthony Joshua in an awkward position.
On his ‘Froch on Fighting’ YouTube channel, the former unified super-middleweight boxing champion praised the British fighter’s performance against Filip Hrgovic on Saturday (June 1), which earned him the interim IBF heavyweight title.
Daniel Dubois looked imperious against Filip Hrgovic.
In Saudi Arabia, Zhilei Zhang, a Chinese giant, defeated Deontay Wilder in the fifth round with a devastating right hand that left the former WBC heavyweight champion on the mat.
The Nottingham great believed Dubois may be the “future” of the heavyweight division, before warming up to the idea of him fighting Zhang rather than Joshua, the two-time champion.
“Daniel Dubois could actually be the future of the heavyweight division if he carries on what he’s doing, he’s young enough to certainly have the longevity and go into the next generation of heavyweights,” the 46-year-old said.
“So Dubois against Zhilei Zhang, that’s actually quite an interesting fight, that’s one I would probably like to see and who wins that, I think Dubois. [He’s] fit, strong, [and] hungry but if Zhang catches him on the chin, that big bang, anything can happen.”
Many had thought an all-British bout between Dubois and Joshua would be next up if the 26-year-old had emerged victorious in Riyadh. It was a proposition posed by Queensberry founder Frank Warren prior to the event.
Zhilei Zhang knocked out Deontay Wilder in devastating fashion.
“That’s what everybody wants to see, that’s what I’d love to see, AJ is coming off a really good line of form at the moment, he’s looked very good in his last two fights and him and Ben Davison is obviously a partnership that’s really working well,” Warren stated last week.
“Let’s just say how it is, who wouldn’t want to see the winner of Hrgovic and Daniel Dubois fight [AJ] and I hope it’s Daniel because then it’ll be an all-British affair, two massive big punchers, [it] don’t get more exciting than that.”
While Dubois is scheduled to face Zhang, Froch believes the Londoner may be in line for a shot at the uncontested titles if Warren’s statements are to be believed.
“Whatever happens, even if it is for the interim title, that means when the rematch happens [between Usyk and Fury], it means whoever wins it will have to fight against one of those guys [Dubois or Hrgovic or Joshua],” said the promoter.
