Anthony Joshua Praises The Potential Of Opponent Daniel Dubois

Anthony Joshua immediately detected Daniel Dubois’ potential the first time they met.

The 34 year old challenges Dubois on the occasion of his first IBF heavyweight title defence, at Wembley Stadium on September 21.

Joshua is fighting to join Muhammad Ali and Lennox Lewis, among others, as a three-time world heavyweight champion, and to remain on course to fight the winner of December’s rematch between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk; Dubois fights to replace him as Usyk’s or Fury’s likeliest next opponent, and also to record his highest-profile and finest win.

Perhaps inevitably, given that Dubois is eight years Joshua’s junior, they have taken considerably different paths to a fight that, for all of Dubois’ promise, had never looked likely, but there was once a time when the teenaged Dubois observed Joshua, then the world’s leading heavyweight, at the Team GB facilities in Sheffield, and when they therefore sparred and Joshua recognised that Dubois’ time would come.

Unlike Joshua, Dubois chose not to pursue the Olympic glory that could have accelerated his career as it once did Joshua’s, and instead turned professional at a considerably younger age and has therefore received a vastly different education.

When they share the ring at Wembley in September they will regardless most likely engage in the nature of heavy-handed shootout that may even make it difficult to determine which of the two won a gold medal at London 2012. Joshua will also recognise the considerable progress Dubois has made from the quiet teenager he once knew.

“I don’t really look at someone’s character in that situation,” he said. “In terms of just the spars, he was a good fighter – very talented – and he knows his way around the ring. I think he has a lot of potential for the future.

“Look at Usyk, he doesn’t look like anything special [as a character], but he can fucking fight. Fury has a massive character, but I don’t look at that stuff. Just in fighting terms, Dubois can fight.

“I would advise anyone to go with the Olympics. I told Moses Itauma he should because he has so much potential and there is no better platform to go into the pros off of. I would advise anyone to try the Olympic route.”

Joshua and Dubois were involved in a heated confrontation on Wednesday, when they first met to film promotional material for their coming fight.

That confrontation provided the latest reminder of the intensity he retains, despite his success in the years since 2016 when he first became a world champion by dethroning Charles Martin to win none other than the IBF title he is about to attempt to recover. In 2016 he was the most promising fighter in a division Usyk was yet to compete in, and in which Fury, Deontay Wilder and Wladimir Klitschko were the leading three fighters – similarly to that he has become in the era in which Dubois has fought to establish himself.

“I can’t believe it,” Joshua said. “It’s nuts. Once I was the up-and-comer and now I am fighting those guys.

“I want to know what happened. I said I would fight until later in my life – I am still young.

“I can’t believe how quickly it’s gone. And I can still speak properly; I’m not punch drunk. How am I 34 already and I’ve not taken much punishment – I think it’s nuts? I still got so many years left to fight but it’s a blessing how far we’ve come. 

“I was with [former Fury opponent] John McDermott the other day and I remember going to watch him in leisure centres… and how far boxing has come and being part of the social media and YouTube eras. It’s been a blessing.”