With just two days left for the ‘Last Crescendo,’ a surprise awaited Joseph Parker. Instead of Daniel Dubois, he would face Martin Bakole, flying all over from the DRC. Dubois had pulled out of the much-anticipated title defense. As he suffered a bout of illness, his team had to make a tough call. Go ahead and fight Parker or withdraw.

Even under normal circumstances, fighting a tough and wily opponent like Parker is no mean task. A square-up when physically weak might prove detrimental. So drop the fight. But difficult decisions often have a price. Reportedly, the bargain had Dubois losing a career-high payday. Not to forget the cost he incurred setting up a training camp that lasted nearly three months. In an exclusive with Sky Sports, the IBF champion’s longtime trainer, Don Charles, shed some light on the circumstances that led to the surprise move.

A setback, but one where proceeding could have had serious consequences

Don Charles’s conscience remains clear. “Every day I wake up, I know we did the right thing. You have to sometimes save fighters from themselves,” he told Sky Sports. According to the 2024 BBBoC (British Boxing Board of Control) Trainer of the Year Award recipient, Dubois withdrew from the February 22 title defense due to a sudden illness. The decision was made based on doctor’s recommendations. According to Charles, it was the right call.

Contrary to what a few felt, it seems, Daniel Dubois wanted to fight Parker. But as a team member, Charles informed them, they had to protect him from himself. Fighting while sick could be dangerous. The result: a considerable financial and career impact on Daniel Dubois’s career.

“We had to do the smart thing. I also remind the audience this was Daniel Dubois’ highest pay to date in his professional career. His career-highest purse. Three and a half months of sheer hard work and the money that it costs to do a camp of that magnitude. We then went all the way to Riyadh; 48 hours before he’s due to fight, he showed signs of illness. It cost him money. To do a three-and-a-half-month camp at this level, it costs a lot of money. So he’s lost all that. The whole team, we’re gutted,” said Don Charles.

But this isn’t the first time Dubois has dealt with a similar illness in training camps. Hence, Charles revealed that the team is looking into why it keeps happening. A story on GB News revealed that Dubois’s purse for the Parker fight was set at £7 million, which is over $9 million.

Daniel Dubois vs. Oleksandr Usyk II – a rematch the boxing world is calling for

Expected to return by summer, Dubois could face Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight title. But there’s a problem. Joseph Parker is a mandatory challenger for Usyk’s WBO belt. Based on the instructions received from the San Juan-based sanctioning body, the two sides have 30 days to reach an agreement, or else the fight could proceed to purse bids.

The first fight between Oleksandr Usyk and ‘Triple D’ ended on a dubious note. On August 26, 2023, Usyk defended his unified heavyweight title with a 9-round knockout. Controversy erupted in the fifth round when a body shot from Dubois floored Usyk. But instead of treating it as a knockdown, referee Luis Pabon ruled the punch a low blow. Not only that, Usyk received nearly five minutes of recovery time.

Hopefully, Dubois will be back as soon as possible. With Usyk nearing the end of his glorious career, that rematch remains highly anticipated by many fans.

If Usyk decides to fight Parker, then do you think Dubois should wait or push forward for an interim bout before getting the rematch?