By Charles Brun – 06/03/2024 – Comments
Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois are reportedly in negotiations for an all-UK heavyweight fight on September 21st at Wembley Stadium in London.
The young gun, Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), will have his IBF interim heavyweight title on hand, and it could be the full belt by then if the International Boxing Federation upgrades it for the Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) fight.
talkSport that Dubois’ promoter Frank Warren has revealed that talks are now underway. It’s unsurprising that Joshua, 34, is fighting Dubois because it’s his only real choice for his next fight in September.
Why Joshua Needs This Fight
- Location: The fight is in London, so Joshua needed a local fighter to help fill the giant Wembley stadium. Zhilei Zhang, the other option, wouldn’t have worked because he’s not from the UK, and he’s up there at 41. If Joshua lost to Zhang, it would be career-over, and he’d be on the same sinking ship as Deontay Wilder. Joshua isn’t far away from those fighters in age, as he turns 35 in October.
- IBF Title and Negotiating Power: He needs to get his hands on the IBF title to strengthen his negotiating position for a fight against the winner of the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk 2 rematch on December 21st. With Joshua possessing the IBF belt, he can bargain better at the negotiating table with the winner of the Fury-Usyk II fight than if he went into the talks empty-handed. Joshua likely feels it’s important to have some title on his shoulder when he walks into the ring for image purposes. Even if it’s just the interim IBF belt, the image of Joshua holding a title plays better for casuals than if he just walked into the ring.
- Quality Opponent and Rebuilding Confidence: AJ hasn’t fought a good opponent since his second defeat against Oleksandr Usyk four fights ago. His promoter, Eddie Hearn, has matched him against four consecutive weak opponents since then to rebuild his brand with the UK public and mentally give him a boost so he could believe in himself once again. With Joshua beating easy marks like Otto Wallin, Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius, and Francis Ngannou, it’s important that he finally face someone of ability instead of the second-tier fodder that he’s been purposefully matched against since last year.
Dubois’ Rising Star
Dubois’ eighth-round TKO win over previously unbeaten IBF mandatory Filip Hrgovic last Saturday night during the ‘5 vs. 5′ event in Riyadh generated the most buzz of any of the fights on the card. The 26-year-old Dubois was the star of that show, and this is the ideal time for Joshua to fight him.
On the negative side. Dubois’ confidence is riding high, and he might be too much for Joshua, who has shown repeatedly throughout his career that he has a weak chin and poor stamina. He gasses quickly when facing good opposition, and when he gets hit, he stays hurt.
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