Daniel Dubois became the IBF heavyweight title after Oleksandr Usyk, the division’s former undisputed champion, vacated the belt. Usyk was unable to defend his championship against Dubois on schedule because he was contractually obligated to fight Tyson Fury in a rematch on December 21, 2024. Interestingly, the British boxer became the IBF’s top contender after defeating Filip Hrgovich in June of this year. As a result, the belt dropped into his lap, and he became the IBF heavyweight champion.
However, Dubois’ maiden title defence would be a difficult challenge. The challenger, former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, is determined to become a three-time world heavyweight champion. The tight pre-fight buildup adds to the allure of an all-British heavyweight contest on September 21 at Wembley Stadium. It all started with a face-to-face meeting in June, when AJ violently shut down Dubois, who was anxious to throw down right away. “I’m going to throw this f***ing chair across your face. “Don’t disrespect me,” Joshia yelled aggressively. Both combatants came close to exchanging blows. As a result, security had to intervene to separate the two blood-thirsty fighters.
As the match date approaches, the ‘Dynamite’ has spoken out against AJ for his “disrespect” remark during the match. “Is disrespect not the proper word? “We’re in boxing,” the 26-year-old fighter explained in an interview with Queensbury Promotions. He also told Joshua that respect should be left at the door when entering into a fight with someone.
“Is there respect in that ring? At the end of the day, it is a fight. “If you want respect, become a lawyer or a doctor,” Dubois said seriously. “This is a fight game, and you know I’m completely ready to go out there and fight now.” The two British boxing legends appear to be heading into the battle with the clear purpose of hurting each other.
On the other side, Anthony Joshua will go into the Dubois battle with evil intentions, as he hopes to return to the top of the heavyweight division.
The fight with Dubois will determine whether Joshua can become the undisputed champion. A win over the Greenwich native would position Joshua advantageously to face the winner of the Usyk-Fury fight in December.
“He can’t stop thinking about Dubois. Obviously, winning the world heavyweight title, but I know that if he wins on September 21, the only fight he wants is against the winner of Usyk-Fury,” AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn revealed.
“He’s always wanted to face Fury, and he’ll surely do it, but when the decision is read out on December 21, he’ll want the winner of that fight because he’s only one fight away from becoming undisputed himself,” The Matchroom Boxing CEO stated.
It is clear that AJ will not hesitate to face Oleksandr Usyk for the third bout if ‘The Cat’ wins the rematch with Fury. Notably, Joshua lost his united heavyweight championship to Usyk in 2021. The rematch the next year produced the same result.
However, do you believe Daniel Dubois has what it takes to prevent Anthony Joshua from becoming a three-time heavyweight champion? Or do you believe AJ’s prior experience in managing these high-profile title fights will help him defeat Dubois? Let us know in the comments section below.
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