Anthony Joshua is seemingly open to fighting Daniel Dubois or Zhilei Zhang next when he headlines in September at Wembley Stadium.
Daniel Dubois: The Obvious Choice?
IBF interim heavyweight champion Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs) is the obvious choice for Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) to fight in September because there’s a good chance his IBF title will be elevated to the full version by then. The clash will attract a lot of interest from British boxing fans because both guys are from the UK.
Zhang would be a good option, given how he looked in stopping Deontay Wilder in the fifth round last Saturday night in Riyadh. However, he lacks a world title.
Fighting Zhang would be more about Joshua proving he could beat the guy who destroyed Wilder, but that’s probably not enough for AJ because he wants to win the IBF title. If he wants that belt, he’ll have to fight Dubois, a dangerous match-up.
Joshua’s Perspective
“I’ve got to pick them off one by one. It’s not going to be easy, but that’s my mentality. So come one, come all. He [Dubois] has worked his way up the ladder; we’ll see what happens in the near future,” said Anthony Joshua about possibly fighting Daniel Dubois or Zhilei Zhang next.
“Over the last six months, Dubois has turned the corner. He’s reinvented himself,” said Chris Mannix on his YouTube channel. “Digging deep to defeat Jarrell Miller back in December was impressive. Digging deep to defeat Filip Hrgovic was even more impressive.
The IBF Title Factor
“Now, we’re talking about Daniel Dubois once again as a contender in the heavyweight division. He’s got the interim version of the IBF title. My intel on this is that sometime over the next few weeks, you’re going to see the IBF upgrade Dubois to the full champion.
“I don’t think the IBF wants to strip Oleksandr Usyk right away, but the reality is, that mandatory fight was long overdue. I think they’re going to elevate Dubois, and if they don’t, the full title is going to be on the line in September when Anthony Joshua takes on Dubois.
“That seems to be the fight that’s going to happen. Both of these guys are British. The Saudis want to do a big show in the UK at Wembley Stadium. It makes perfect sense. The IBF title on the line. Dubois-AJ, big fight. I think it’s a no-brainer for September,” said Mannix.
Read the full article here
