Parker Questions Dubois' Illness: "It Looks Strange"

WBO interim heavyweight champion Joseph Parker has raised eyebrows over the illness that forced Daniel Dubois to withdraw from their scheduled fight, calling the situation "a bit strange."

"It looks strange. First, Daniel showed up at the open workout, and then suddenly he felt unwell. But there was no statement, no proof, no doctors—just nothing.

It gets even more surprising because right after that, Usyk started calling Dubois out, saying he wanted that fight next.

I'm not saying he wasn’t sick. I’m just saying I’m not sure what really happened. Was he sick? I don’t know. I just don’t know," Parker said.

When asked whether it's possible that Usyk and Dubois had already discussed fighting each other next and decided to avoid risking a bout where Dubois could lose and ruin that matchup, Parker didn’t dismiss the theory.

"There are so many possibilities. But since we haven’t heard anything from their team, it leaves room for all sorts of speculation about what might have happened," Parker responded.

Dubois and Parker were set to fight for the IBF title on February 22, but just two days before the fight, Dubois pulled out due to illness. He was replaced by Martin Bakole, who was knocked out in the second round.