Daniel Dubois has not minced his words and wants to knock out Anthony Joshua this Saturday night in Wembley Stadium. He is the IBF heavyweight champion (21-2, 20 KOs), and has clearly said that he intends to ‘turn Joshua into an ‘old man’ within the ring. Moreover, he has mocked his age as well as his recent performance of Joshua.
Daniel’s record is 28-3, 25 KOs, and the 35-year-old hasn’t had a tough test since his loss to Oleksandr Usyk in August 2022 which many attributed to a mental meltdown. That fight was one of the worst in the career of Joshua. Probably that is a fact that both he and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, wouldn’t love to see that sort of defeat in their career again.
Eddie Hearn’s Efforts to Revive Joshua’s Career
Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter whom he has been working with since the boxer entered the professional level in 2013. Eddie has been promoting Joshua’s training, claiming that Anthony Joshua is in better shape now than he was at the beginning of his professional boxing career. Hearn seems to suggest that Joshua has turned back time, portraying him as he’s a young fighter once again.
However, it has been criticized that while Hearn tried to convince everyone about Joshua’s comeback. He is trying to fill up the last four fights with opponents below his class. Joshua and Hearn now have a challenge. It will be impossible to continue building the public image of Joshua if Daniel Dubois defeats him on Saturday through low-level competition.
Daniel Dubois Is Ready to Exploit Joshua’s Weakness
Daniel Dubois doesn’t see Joshua as the threat he once was.
I’ve got to take it from him, turn him into an old man in the ring, and go out there and rip it from him,
The skeptics, who haven’t bought into the hype, may begin to see through the facade. Daniel Dubois shared his thoughts with DAZN Boxing, where he confidently stated his intention to defeat the former heavyweight champion. Anthony Joshua is not the same fighter, he used to be after losing to Usyk and since then he has not fought any top-ranked contender. Joshua has aged in the ring, despite Hearn’s efforts to protect him from facing strong opponents.
Joshua, often compared to Frank Bruno, is now seen by some as a fighter well past his prime. Daniel Dubois views this weekend’s fight as an opportunity to expose Joshua for what he is a fading star who has benefitted from favorable matchups.
Joshua’s Physical Decline Is Apparent
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Physically, it’s difficult to argue that Joshua is still the same fighter who began his professional boxing career after winning a controversial Olympic gold medal in London in 2012. Dubois said that Joshua fought with a lot of fighters in his career including an MMA fighter which was his best performance.
People are easily swayed in this game. He fought an MMA guy [Francis Ngannou], and he fought Wallin. His last opponent, that was his second professional fight.
Daniel Dubois plans to make a statement by knocking Joshua out, saying,
I aim to knock him out. I want to make a fool out of him by knocking him out
If Daniel Dubois wins, it will reveal the flaws in Joshua’s career and undo everything Hearn has built up around him. This can leave the fans wondering how the once touted future of the heavyweight boxing division, Joshua, has plummeted so badly.
