Joshua, Dubois fight dealt second blow as world title clash not yet approved

The organisers of Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois are facing a second setback – just two days after Liam Smith withdrew from his undercard bout with Josh Kelly, reports manchestereveningnews.co.uk.

The card now faces another major obstacle as Josh Warrington may miss the opportunity to become a two-weight world champion, despite securing a shot at IBF super-featherweight champion, Anto Cacace.
Dubois will defend his IBF heavyweight boxing title against two-time former champion Joshua in a headline fight at Wembley Stadium, on Saturday, September 21.

But despite the eagerly awaited showdown between the two Brits proceeding as scheduled, the card-backed by Saudi-funded Riyadh Season – has encountered issues with other fights in the lead-up.

Former WBO light-middleweight champion Smith suddenly fell ill with a virus and announced he would be withdrawing from his bout with contender Kelly on the weekend.

The loss of an ex-champion like Smith from the card is undoubtedly a significant setback, but organisers have since salvaged the fight with Ishmael Davis stepping in to take on Kelly.

However, organisers are still grappling with a separate problem as they wait to see if Warrington’s match with Cacace will remain a title fight. Warrington, who has twice held the IBF featherweight title, is moving up a division to face the Irishman.

The IBF has so far refused to ratify Warrington as a challenger for the 9st 4lb division title, given that he hasn’t competed in the weight class for over ten years and has never been ranked. Those involved are desperately petitioning for the IBF to approve the fight as Cacace’s first defence after his victory over Joe Cordina, in May to win the belt.

As reported by the Daily Star, however, they remain