Daniel Dubois was wiped out by a viral infection, according to his promoter Frank Warren.
‘Triple D’ was set to defend his IBF heavyweight title against Joseph Parker on Saturday night in the co-feature attraction of a stacked Saudi bill headlined by Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol‘s rematch for the undisputed light heavyweight crown.
However, Dubois fell ill and was deemed medically unfit to compete by doctors.
Organisers then scrambled to find a replacement on two days’ notice.
Lawrence Okolie, David Adeleye and Mourad Aliev were considered as potential options as all three were training nearby.
But in the end, Martin Bakole got the call after his trainer and manager Billy Nelson campaigned tirelessly for the opportunity.
Bakole is currently on a flight from Congo to Saudi Arabia, covering 3,800 miles, while Dubois is bedridden.
Speaking to iFL TV about the dramatic situation and Dubois’ current condition, Warren said: “It was a big fight, he’s trained very hard.
“If you don’t fight you don’t get paid, imagine the cost of a training camp, booking places, setting the camp up, bringing the sparring partners in, nutritionists, chefs, trainers, and you don’t get paid.
“It’s a massive loss, you can’t insure it, if you do it costs a fortune to insure.
“Very, very disappointed. It was an unbelievable purse he was getting for the fight but we are where we are, if you’re not well, you can’t fight.
“I’m always saying to the fighters I don’t want to hear after the event if anything goes wrong that you had a bad hand, or a cold, or your budgie died, none of that matters, you live to fight another day.
“We knew he weren’t well. When he went to the doctor originally he was just going to have the doctor examine him, give him some medication but the medication he gave him obviously had to be checked that it didn’t have any ingredients on the WADA list.
“To do that they got in touch with the Boxing Board of Control, then a Boxing Board of Control doctor came along and he got a little bit worse by then.
“One of the medicines he was given causes a lot of drowsiness, so that was the end of that.”
Asked specially what is wrong with Dubois, Warren replied: “He’s got a viral infection.
“Quite a few people have been getting it out here. I remember the last time when we went back from here [in December] a lot of people were ill over Christmas.
“You see some of these conspiracy theorists, you don’t know where their brains are sometimes if they’ve even got any.”
GETTYParker accepted Bakole without hesitation[/caption]
Parker will defend his WBO ‘interim’ title against Bakole, which he was set to be stripped of upon the opening bell of his IBF world title fight.
It remains to be seen whether he will be given another shot at Dubois’ red and gold strap in the event of a loss.
