Carl Froch’s excitement about Daniel Dubois potentially taking on Zhilei Zhang has left Anthony Joshua in an awkward position.
The former unified super-middleweight boxing champion raved about the Brit’s performance against Filip Hrgovic on Saturday (June 1) that saw him pick up the interim IBF heavyweight title on his ‘Froch on Fighting’ YouTube channel.
He was joined in the winner’s circle in Saudi Arabia by Chinese powerhouse Zhilei Zhang, who demolished Deontay Wilder in the fifth round with a huge right hand that left the ex-WBC heavyweight champ flat out on the canvas.
The Nottingham legend suggested Dubois could be the “future” of the heavyweight division, before warming up to the idea of seeing him share the ring with Zhang, instead of the two-time champion in Joshua.
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“Daniel Dubois could actually be the future of the heavyweight division if he carries on what he’s doing, he’s young enough to certainly have the longevity and go into the next generation of heavyweights,” the 46-year-old said.
“So Dubois against Zhilei Zhang, that’s actually quite an interesting fight, that’s one I would probably like to see and who wins that, I think Dubois. [He’s] fit, strong, [and] hungry but if Zhang catches him on the chin, that big bang, anything can happen.”
Many had thought an all-British bout between Dubois and Joshua would be next up if the 26-year-old had emerged victorious in Riyadh. It was a proposition posed by Queensberry founder Frank Warren prior to the event.
Zhilei Zhang celebrates
Zhilei Zhang knocked out Deontay Wilder in devastating fashion ( Image: Getty Images)
“That’s what everybody wants to see, that’s what I’d love to see, AJ is coming off a really good line of form at the moment, he’s looked very good in his last two fights and him and Ben Davison is obviously a partnership that’s really working well,” Warren stated last week.
“Let’s just say how it is, who wouldn’t want to see the winner of Hrgovic and Daniel Dubois fight [AJ] and I hope it’s Daniel because then it’ll be an all-British affair, two massive big punchers, [it] don’t get more exciting than that.”
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While Dubois has been slated to take on Zhang, according to Froch, the Londoner could be set for a shot at the undisputed titles if Warren’s words are anything to go by.
“Whatever happens, even if it is for the interim title, that means when the rematch happens [between Usyk and Fury], it means whoever wins it will have to fight against one of those guys [Dubois or Hrgovic or Joshua],” the promoter remarked.
