Anthony Joshua enters Saturday's bout with IBF champion Daniel Dubois with the opportunity to become a three-time world heavyweight champion. The pair meet in the main event of a pay-per-view card emanating from Wembley Stadium in London.
After winning the IBF interim title in his most recent outing, an eighth-round TKO win over Filip Hrgovic, Dubois was elevated to full champion when the IBF stripped then-undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk for going through with his contractually-mandated rematch with Tyson Fury rather than fulfilling his obligation to face a mandatory challenger. In that way, many fans may view the fight with Joshua as for little more than a paper championship, with Usyk the true king of the heavyweight division.
The real prize for Dubois and Joshua may be cementing a position to challenge the winner of Usyk vs. Fury II in an undisputed title fight. Both men have lost to Usyk, with Dubois suffering an August 2023 TKO defeat and Joshua losing three world titles to Usyk in September 2021 and then losing the rematch the following August.
Both men have gotten their careers back on track following losing efforts against Usyk. Joshua won a lackluster decision over Jermaine Franklin Jr. before stoppages of Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and, most recently, former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. That has positioned him to challenge Dubois, who scored a late stoppage of Jarrell Miller before his impressive win over Hrgovic.
Given their histories against Usyk, holding a world title is likely the only enticement for another shot at the champion, assuming Usyk defeats Fury in the rematch. Should Fury win, the door would be open for a British mega-fight with the Dubois vs. Joshua winner, with either man a fresh opponent for Fury and plenty of bitter history to draw on should the winner be Joshua.
Joshua has shown a reignited mean streak during his recent run and he has promised to bring that edge to the ring on Saturday.
"Just putting on one of the most devastating, dominating performances of my career. That's what I'm looking to do," Joshua told Sky Sports. "Show dominance, be dominant, aggressive. Assert my physical attributes and my mental attributes on my opponent. I think for me, that will mean more than anything ... my coach coming back to me and saying, 'That's how you're supposed to look when you box.'"
The undercard is a little weak given the names that have filled out other undercards of late, but there is still some stuff worth keeping an eye on. The co-main event sees a middleweight bout for a secondary title when Hamzah Sheeraz takes on Tyler Denny. Plus, Joshua Buatsi takes on Willy Hutchinson for the WBO interim light heavyweight title. And veteran former champ Josh Warrington is back in a title fight against rising contender Anthony Cacace for the IBO junior lightweight crown.
Joshua vs. Dubois fight card, odds
- Anthony Joshua -425 vs. Daniel Dubois (c) +320, IBF heavyweight championship
- Hamzah Sheeraz -1000 vs. Tyler Denny +600, middleweights
- Anthony Cacace -235 vs. Josh Warrington +185, junior lightweights
- Joshua Buatsi -270 vs. Willy Hutchinson +215, light heavyweights
- Josh Kelly -200 vs. Ishmael Davis +160, middleweights
- Mark Chamberlain -1400 vs. Josh Padley +800, lightweights
Where to watch Joshua vs. Dubois
- When: Saturday at 11 a.m. ET (main card, main event approximately 5 p.m. ET)
- Where: Wembley Stadium -- London
- TV: DAZN PPV ($19.99)
Prediction
Heavyweight fights always carry the possibility that either man could have their hand raised after landing a single punch. Dubois is entirely capable of defeating Joshua, especially considering Joshua has turned in the occasionally uninspiring performance. One of those performances came when Joshua was shockingly knocked out by massive underdog Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019. Dubois is a better fighter than Ruiz, which makes him a live underdog.
However, when Joshua is on his game, he is a patient assassin working behind a jab that utilizes his 82-inch reach until openings present for thudding power shots. The amount of power contained in any one Joshua shot was on display against Ngannou, who was melted by Joshua's right hand.
When you add Joshua's best qualities to Dubois' tendency to leave himself open defensively, it's easy to understand why Joshua enters this fight as the favorite. Dubois was caught by far too many of Hrgovic's power shots in a winning effort and Hrgovic doesn't carry the same power in his hands as Joshua.
Dubois is going to have to fight a near-perfect fight unless Joshua is off his game and there's no reason to think Dubois can be good enough defensively to avoid the fire Joshua will be throwing. Pick: Anthony Joshua via KO5
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