Southern Area heavyweight title fight bewteen Daniel Dubois and Dave Jones postponed

The Southern Area heavyweight title fight between champion Daniel Dubois’ (6-0) and challenger Dave Jones (8-0-1) has been postponed following the cancellation of ‘The Untouchables’ show scheduled for February 10 at the Copper Box Arena.

The 20-year-old heavyweight sensation, signed to Frank Warren, had been unable to train due to illness and his management team decided it would have been an unnecessary risk for him to continue to compete.

The 36-year-old unbeaten heavyweight from Kent, Dave Jones, responded to the news, “They told me he’s got a chest infection, so I completely understand them cancelling, they can’t risk their prospects.

“I know there were illnesses and injuries causing the entire show to be called off. They mentioned putting it back to 24th February at York Hall, at first, but now there’s talk of the April 14th Billy Joe Saunders v Martin Murray show at the O2.”





The cancelled BT Sport show also lost his headlining fight when WBO World bantamweight champion Zolani Tete withdrew with a calf injury, and there were further issues with matchmaking for British welterweight titleholder Bradley Skeete, causing the card to be cancelled completely.

The postponement could work in the Medway man’s favour, he claimed, “They gave me short notice for this fight, so it gives me time to prepare properly.”

“If it’s in four weeks, then I’ll be properly fit, and I’ll carry on with training, foot fully on the gas. If it’s in April, then I’ll fight on Joe’s [Joe Elfidh] show on the 24th [February] for a warm up fight.”

The unbeaten heavyweight is signed to JE Promotions, headed by former pro Joe Elfidh. The Kent-based promotional outfit have a forthcoming event on the last weekend of February at Mote Park in Maidstone.

Jones was due to face Central Area heavyweight title contender David Howe (14-6) on the Maidstone show, but withdrew as soon as the Southern Area championship opportunity with “Dynamite” materialised.

His forthcoming opponent has stormed through his first six opponents since his debut in April last year, knocking out all victims within five minutes, and is widely rated as the hottest prospect in British boxing right now.

The 20-year-old from Greenwich landed the Southern Area strap in his fifth fight last September at the Copper Box in Stratford, the same setting for his last four fights, with a first-round KO of AJ Carter.

The oldest title in British boxing was the South Londoner’s second accolade in the paid ranks; the first was the WBC Youth World heavyweight belt.

Jones has silverware of his on in the form of the International Challenge heavyweight belt that he claimed when he outpointed Czechoslovakian Jiri Svacina in June 2016.

The 6ft 5in South Londoner will present the Queenborough resident with his toughest test of his three-year career to date.

“I’m not stupid and I know the task in hand is very hard, and I’m a massive underdog, but I’ve got absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain,” Jones urged.

“I will go out there and give it everything I’ve got, I’m not going there just to pick the money up, I’m going there to win.”