Newly-minted IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois will make the first defense of his title against Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium on September 21.
Dubois has been crowned champion after Oleksandr Usyk, who became the undisputed ruler with a May victory over Tyson Fury, relinquished the IBF title to allow the London heavyweights to fight for the belt.
Joshua will bid to become a heavyweight champion for the third time in his lucrative and decorated career against a man he has shared sparring rounds with in the past.
Both are members of the heavyweight division’s ‘in-form club’, with Dubois coming off stoppage wins over Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic and Joshua posting one-sided victories over Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.
The Wembley stadium bill will include the WBO interim light-heavyweight title fight between 18-0 (13 KOs) Joshua Buatsi and Willy Hutchinson, 18-1 (13 KOs), a middleweight bout between European champion Tyler Denny, 19-2-3 (1 KO), and the highly-regarded Hamzah Sheeraz, 20-0 (16 KOs), and Ireland’s IBF southpaw super featherweight champion will make the first defense of the title he won from Joe Cordina in May. There is also an interesting middleweight clash between Liverpool veteran Liam Smith, 33-4-1 (20 KOs), and 15-1-1 (8 KOs) Josh Kelly, while Portsmouth lightweight Mark Chamberlain, 16-0 (12 KOs), is on the bill against fellow unbeaten contender Josh Padley, 14-0 (4 KOs).
There was strong speculation that the heavyweight rematch between Fabio Wardley and Frazer Clarke would be included on the bill, but that is now likely to go ahead on a separate bill on Sky Sports.
More to follow.
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