In his complicated career, Anthony Joshua has headlined numerous stadium shows, the majority of them on the strength of his own name, brand and legacy. In fact, the only exceptions were arguably his victory over Wladimir Klitschko and first defeat by Oleksandr Usyk – both of which were seismic sporting events all around. So, what about September’s headline contest: an IBF heavyweight title fight with Daniel Dubois?
In fairness, this bout probably belongs in the latter camp. It is true that Dubois, who will be 27 on fight night, is not yet in a position where he can fill stadiums regardless of his opponent, as “AJ” first did at the same age. But his reputation is as strong as it has ever been, and Joshua himself is resurgent.
And so Joshua will fight in stadium for the first time since his first clash with Usyk, in 2021, while Dubois does so for the second time in his career, having made his debut in such a venue last August – against Usyk, no less.
Like Joshua in 2021 and 2022, and every man to have fought the Ukrainian, Dubois came up short against Usyk. In May, Tyson Fury became the latest boxer to join that list. In that regard, there is no shaming in losing to Usyk, yet for Joshua and Dubois, their respective losses to the southpaw saw the Britons counted out for good.
Joshua’s shock defeat by Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019 saw him counted out for the first time, but the second loss to Usyk was deemed terminal for his career by many fans and pundits. Similarly, Dubois had already suffered a pro defeat by the time he was beaten by Usyk, having been stopped by Joe Joyce in 2020, but the latter loss elicited more criticism.
While Joshua’s losses to Usyk both came on the scorecards, the Ukrainian beat Dubois with a stiff jab. It drew further suggestions that Dubois was a “quitter”, after he similarly took a knee in his loss to Joyce and failed to beat the referee’s count. No matter that the young heavyweight had suffered an orbital fracture against Joyce, and was arguably denied a TKO of Usyk with an ‘illegal’ body shot; the reputation stuck.
So Dubois, earlier in his career than Joshua, has been tasked with resurgence. And he has achieved that.
In December, with seconds left on the clock, he won a war with Jarrell Miller by stopping the American. Then on 1 June, against the bookies’ odds, he pummeled Filip Hrgovic to win the interim IBF title, leaving the complacent Croat’s face an ugly, bloody mess. On Wednesday, hours before the press conference to announce his fight with Joshua, Usyk vacated the regular IBF belt, making Dubois the official champion.
Joshua, now 34, will therefore get the chance to regain the title that he lost to Usyk three years ago – along with the WBA and WBO straps. He will get that chance when he boxes Dubois, a man once touted as the next AJ. Yet Joshua is still here, his reputation revitalised.
Four wins in 11 months, three of them knockouts, have reestablished Joshua as one of the top few heavyweights in the world – and a must-see knockout artist, as he once was. Joshua dismissed Robert Helenius and Francis Ngannou with a particularly notable ruthlessness, while his win over Otto Wallin in December was a clinic in brutality.
And so September will bring an all-British world-title fight between forces in form – a prospect genuinely worthy of Wembley.
“I would’ve loved to win [the official IBF title] on the night of my last fight, but here we are. I’m grateful, I’m blessed,” Dubois said on Wednesday. “AJ’s been the king for a very long time; on the night, I need to become a kingslayer.” Dubois also described his career resurrection as “coming out of the darkness, into the light”.
Joshua, for his part, said: “I picked Dubois to win [against Hrgovic]. I watch boxing closely, and I picked him.” Asked about a trilogy fight with Usyk next, or a long-awaited clash with Fury – who boxes Usyk again in December – AJ added: “I’m not silly, I know the game. We’re all in the wild, we’re a pack of lions, I have to keep my eyes peeled. I’ve always kept my eyes peeled on Daniel.”
September’s undercard is also a selling point – an unprecedented feature in boxing before the Saudis’ recent injection of money. This event will be the second Riyadh Season card to be staged abroad, after August’s upcoming Los Angeles show, and it will feature ex-world champions and incumbents. Liam Smith and Josh Warrington will appear, as will Joshua Buatsi, Anthony Cacace, Hamzah Sheeraz and Mark Chamberlain.
Yet the main event is the most intriguing affair here. If Dubois triumphs, he will have won a world-title fight at Wembley against a generational standout, at the age of 27. Joshua ticked all of those boxes on one iconic night against Klitschko, before his first major setback gave way to a second reign as world champion. Now, he is nearing the destination on his journey to become a three-time champion.
Make your predictions, but don’t write off either man entirely. It’s better to heed this cautionary tale, written by Joshua and Dubois themselves.
