Wembley Stadium will play host to one of the biggest boxing fights on British soil in recent years on September 21, as fellow Londoners Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois are set to trade blows in their own backyards for the vacant IBF world heavyweight title.
Both boxers are at opposite ends of their respective careers. ‘AJ’ is in his twilight, and this could be his last chance at becoming a three-time heavyweight champion, while Dubois is still a growing figure in the Blue Riband division and has a lot to prove if he is to live up to the hype from a few years ago.
The Joshua Dubois odds are massively in AJ’s favour, but ‘DDD’ has the potential to cause an upset with his raw power — which has seen him end 20 of his 21 wins by knockout. This is also a chance for him to potentially become the face of British boxing, with Tyson Fury’s days also likely numbered.
That said, let’s take a closer look at the interim IBF heavyweight champion’s last three fights, analysing his performances and any key takeaways that could potentially be used to help him beat Joshua at Wembley next month.
Filip Hrgovic – Won via TKO
Dubois’s most recent bout saw him overcome Filip Hrgovic, beating the Croatian by TKO in the eighth round of their Saudi showdown to become interim IBF heavyweight champion after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt following his win over Tyson Fury.
The matchup was part of the highly-anticipated 5v5 card between Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom and Frank Warren’s Queensberry, with the latter sealing a stunning whitewash in the battle between two of the sport’s biggest promoters.
In what was arguably his best performance in the ring to date, Dubois brutally dispatched his opponent, with the referee having to step in and put an end to the fight in the eighth round after one-way traffic, for the most part, left Hrgovic with damage to both eyes.
Jarrell Miller – Win via TKO
Featuring on the undercard of the blockbuster ‘Day of Reckoning,’ which saw Anthony Joshua vs. Otto Wallin and Deontay Wilder vs. Joseph Park headline a historic night of boxing in Saudi, Dubois bounced back from his second career defeat with a late stoppage over Jarrell Miller.
The pressure was on DDD to deliver after his loss to Usyk earlier in the year, and he made a major statement with a stunning TKO victory over his American counterpart, who couldn’t handle Dubois’s raw power in the latter stages.
Miller’s aggression forced Dubois into a brawl, but he kept his composure amidst the American’s all-guns-blazing approach and landed the more accurate shots before ultimately ending the fight with an onslaught of unanswered shots in the 10th and final round.
Oleksandr Usyk – Lost via KO
In the biggest fight of his career to date, Dubois faced Usyk for the WBA ‘super’, IBF, WBO, IBO and The Ring heavyweight belts in Stadio Wroclaw last August.
The boxing odds were largely in the unified champion’s favour, but Dubois appeared to be on the cusp of a massive upset when what looked to be a legit body shot left Usyk in agony on the canvas.
However, referee Luis Pabon deemed it a low blow, which allowed the defending champion ample time to recover from the shot. The Ukrainian regained his composure, knocking Dubois to the canvas in the eighth round. The referee stepped in to end the bout in the ninth, as DDD was floored once again by his opponent.
Dubois can rightfully feel hard down by in that defeat, as it’s likely Usyk would have been counted out had it now been declared a controversial low blow, but he can take confidence from his performance going into the AJ fight.