There we have it, Daniel Dubois' second defence of his IBF world heavyweight title has been confirmed.
Taking place as the chief support to the undisputed light heavyweight title rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol on February 22 in Riyadh, Dubois will face former WBO champion Joseph Parker, live on DAZN Pay-Per-View.
Dubois and Parker are two men who in recent months have become must-watch attractions in the heavyweight division after suffering similar setbacks.
The reigning IBF heavyweight champion may just be 27 years old, but he has already experienced the many peaks and troughs of a professional heavyweight boxer.
In 2020, Dubois took a knee in the tenth round against Joe Joyce after being endlessly jabbed, which resulted in a left eye socket fracture. That loss saw Dubois labelled a 'quitter' by certain fighters, and to the fans, there was a dip in interest.
'Dynamite' underwent a rebuild which culminated in a trip to Poland in August 2023 to face unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. Few gave him a chance but a contentious low blow in the fifth showed that he could trouble the Ukrainian, however, Usyk powered through and stopped Dubois in round nine.
Cue another rebuild, and Dubois is experiencing the best period of his career so far. Stoppage wins over Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic saw Dubois land his shot at facing superstar Anthony Joshua in front of a sold out Wembley Stadium in September.
Over 96,000 fans were in attendance on that night and there were concerns that Dubois would shrink in a stadium which can become a boxing bearpit. Instead, he shocked many of those in the stands and watching at home, bashing Joshua around with ease and producing four knockdowns en-route to round a five stoppage. Suddenly, Dubois was a man in demand and while he will be eager to face the winner of the December 21 rematch between Usyk and Tyson Fury for the undisputed title, he will first need to get past a resurgent Parker.
Hailing from New Zealand, Joseph Parker is one of the heavyweight division's 'good guys', but following a brutal knockout loss to Joe Joyce in December 2022, it looked like his career at the top level was over.
Just like Dubois, Parker went on a rebuild, easing himself back into the fold with wins over Jack Maseey, Faiga Opelu and Simon Kean, but it was his performances in Riyadh which have reminded the boxing world why he is still one of the best at heavyweight.
Under the tutelage of head trainer Andy Lee, Parker carried out calm and methodical wins over Deontay Wilder in December 2023 and Zhilei Zhang three months later. Since beating the latter, there were then calls for Parker to challenge for a world title once more and that time has come.
When it comes to the demeanour of Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker outside of the ring, the phrase 'Gentle Giants' is appropriate.
Dubois' shouting 'Are you not entertained!' with a beaming smile to a stunned Wembley crowd after beating Joshua to Parker's popularity rising during the various COVID lockdowns with parody videos covering popular songs, these are two men who are turning into worthy ambassadors for the sport.
However, their showdown on February 22 is one which carries significant importance.
Both Dubois and Parker have undergone successful rebuilds which sees them now dining at the heavyweight division's top table, and it seemed inevitable that the two would meet in the ring.
The fact the IBF heavyweight title will be on the line adds extra importance to what could lie ahead for the victor. A win would open the door to huge fights for the foreseeable future, including a shot at undisputed with those encounters becoming more common following the arrival of Turki Alalshikh.
For the loser, it is back to square one, facing opponents of a lesser ability whilst awaiting an opening to face world level contenders.
At the ages of 27 and 32, there is still plenty left in the tank for Dubois and Parker when it comes to challenging for the top prizes at heavyweight, but with boxing experiencing a 'boom' right now, this fight could be do or die if the plan is to keep that seat at the division's top table for years to come.
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