As the calendar switched to September, the countdown to Anthony Joshua’s much-anticipated clash with fellow Brit Daniel Dubois at the iconic Wembley Stadium on September 21 got well and truly underway.
With the lucrative fight purses on offer in Saudi Arabia, there arguably hasn’t been a bout of this magnitude in the United Kingdom since ‘AJ’ lost to Oleksandr Usyk for the first time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium back in 2021.
With what’s on stake, it’s perhaps only fitting that this fight takes place in the backyard of both fighters. For Joshua, this is likely the last chance he will get to win back one of his belts while Dubois is seeking his crowning moment in becoming world champion for the first time.
The Joshua vs Dubois odds are firmly in AJ’s favour. The bookmakers are pricing the 34-year-old as short as 1/6 to win the fight and 2/5 to triumph over Dubois via knockout or TKO, with Dubois a 4/1 outsider ahead of the showdown.
The tale of the tape sees two boxers at the opposite end of their careers. Joshua has been on a redemption mission since his successive losses to Usyk and his journey back to the top culminates against Dubois, potentially making this an all-or-nothing night in the ring for AJ.
It’s the polar opposite for the man in the opposing corner. While ‘DDD’ has also had to rebuild after losing to Joe Joyce four years ago, he is still waiting for that defining moment to take his career to the next level, and this is the perfect opportunity.
Dubois didn’t disgrace himself in his loss to Usyk in Poland 12 months ago, arguably being denied a victory after appearing to floor Ukrainian with a body shot before the referee deemed it a low blow — allowing Usyk time to recover and ultimately win via a ninth-round stoppage.
He appears to have grown in confidence since as well, upping his levels in the subsequent victories over Jerrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic in Saudi — both of which were dubbed career-best performances by fans and pundits alike, especially the latter as Dubois stunned the boxing betting odds to win vacant IBF belt.
Some think that the manner of that defeat to Usyk suggests that Dubois gives up when the going gets tough, and with Joshua being one of the biggest punchers in the division, that doesn’t bode well for DDD going into this bout.
However, he saw out slug matches against the American and Croat to win and he’s also got a hefty punch in his locker, which could ring alarm bells for Joshua — who was infamously stunned by Andy Ruiz Jr. in his first defeat in 2019 and perhaps fortunate not to be stopped late by Usyk in their first encounter.
One of the big talking points is what would a defeat mean for Joshua’s career? Many will wonder if he will call time on his time in the ring should he suffer another crushing knockback, and it’s hard to argue against it after seeing how much of a toll the losses to Usyk had on AJ both physically and mentally.
Dubois has already highlighted his intentions to take Joshua’s crown, saying: “AJ’s been the king for a very long time; on the night, I need to become a kingslayer.”
