Frank Warren on Daniel Dubois' Condition: "He's Gotten Even Worse"

Queensberry Promotions CEO Frank Warren has provided an update on Daniel Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs) after the IBF heavyweight champion was forced to withdraw from his scheduled fight against WBO interim champion Joseph Parker (35-3, 23 KOs) due to illness.

"Obviously, he's absolutely gutted, deeply disappointed. The reality is, he's gotten even worse today. We're going to put him on a plane and try to get him home. He's devastated. People don’t always understand how boxing works—fighters pay for their own training camps, sparring partners… It’s a huge expense.

He had a mild case of tonsillitis in his last fight. Now, I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but the bottom line is, he simply can’t fight. We didn’t pull him out—of course, we wouldn’t have wanted him to go in feeling like this—but the British Boxing Board of Control's doctor ruled him out.

It’s frustrating, but this is boxing. I remember how this affected Derek Chisora when Wladimir Klitschko pulled out of their fight just days before. We’ve been in this situation before," Warren stated.

Stepping in for Dubois, Congolese heavyweight Martin Bakole will now face Parker. The fight takes place tonight, February 22, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.