UK Boxing
Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois World Title Fight Predictions at Wembley
Published
4 months agoon
AJ will fight for the thirteenth world title in his career against IBF champion Daniel Dubois
The next Battle of the Britons will take place on Saturday night under the iconic Wembley Arch. Former two-time heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua will return to the venue where he defeated the great Wladimir Klitschko in 2017 to claim his first world title, but the 34-year-old will need to beat one of the world’s best up-and-coming fighters, IBF champion Daniel Dubois, if he is to add another legendary feat to his CV.
Dubois, 27, was crowned IBF heavyweight world champion after Oleksandr Usyk was forced to vacate the title following an undisputed victory over Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia earlier this year. The fight has huge implications for both fighters.
Joshua is looking to return to the top of the heavyweight division after two consecutive losses to Usyk. AJ has aspirations of revenge on Usyk in a third fight, while a meeting with Gypsy King Fury could also be in the cards if he regains his world title.
As for Dubois, defeating one of the greatest British and boxing heavyweights of all time would be a huge honour for him as he looks to cement his position at the top of the division. Like AJ, Dubois was defeated by Usyk and would undoubtedly like another chance at the Ukrainian after seeing a last-minute knockdown ruled as a controversial low blow.
Wembley Stadium is expected to be packed, with 96,000 boxing fans expected to be on the edge of their seats when the first bell rings later in the evening. Joshua has more fight experience and more appearances at Wembley – but Dubois will see this as a great opportunity to silence his critics after a series of rather awkward encounters with his compatriot in the build-up.
Boxing figures from around the world have spoken out about who they think will get their hands on Saturday’s biggest fight of the night. Now, journalists will have their say.
AJ wants to become a three-time world champion
Joshua Mbu: I predict a fourth-round knockout win for Anthony Joshua. Dubois, while undoubtedly talented, will lose in his first world title defense, but that won’t be the end for Frank Warren’s man, who is close to the top of the heavyweight division. AJ will be crowned a three-time world champion, and boxing will need to provide a series of powerful fights after his inauguration. Joshua will be closely watching the December rematch between Usyk and Fury, and should be the first name to face the winner of that fight, or at least at the end of the trilogy if it gets to that point.
Daniel Blackham: If Anthony Joshua is still the Anthony Joshua he used to be, he won’t have to come out of second gear to beat Daniel Dubois with ease. I’ve got nothing against the youngster, but I’m not sure what he’s done or who he’s beaten to suggest he should be considered the favourite. I’m not sure what the path to victory is for him. Joshua has shown in the past that he can get hit and hurt, but Oleksandr Usyk couldn’t stop him, Francis Ngannou couldn’t touch him, and apart from Dillian Whyte and Wladimir Klitschko about nine and seven years ago, he’s hardly ever been hurt.
Joshua is the better boxer and punches harder, so no difficult feelings for Dubois – who will likely become a future heavyweight champion of the world – but I see Saturday only going one way. Joshua will become a three-time heavyweight champion of the world, likely via overdue stoppage.
Daniel Dubois crowned IBF champion after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt
Cameron Winstanley: Anthony Joshua, Round 10. Joshua is back to his best form and more refined technique. His devastating KO of Francis Ngannou showed everything that is good about this AJ model. Dubois is threatening, but I think Joshua has too much and will stop the fight at the distance. Joshua should line up for the biggest fight in British boxing history next year against Tyson Fury if the “Gypsy King” gets revenge on Oleksandr Usyk in December.
Opulent Jones: Joshua in Round 7. This is a really tough fight to pick. Joshua has looked impressive recently, but his opponents have been questionable. Dubois has been steadily improving, and his win over Filip Hrgovic was impressive, but he still lacks a real win.
I expect a steady start, but if Dubois catches Joshua, AJ may have no choice but to get into a real fight. When it comes down to it, I think Joshua may be polished and experienced enough to weather the storm and come out on top. Either way, I don’t see this going the distance. Both are powerful boxers who are susceptible to being hit by huge shots. The huge question is who will land the deciding blow?
Express Sport reporters favor AJ over Dubois
Joseph McBride: Joshua will win by KO/TKO, round 7. Anthony Joshua has been waiting for this chance after two straight losses to Oleksandr Usyk. Daniel Dubois is incredibly talented and won’t stand in AJ’s way.
It’s also an emotional return to Wembley, where AJ proved himself to be the top contender before beating Wladimir Klitschko and Alexander Povetkin later in his career. AJ’s last fight at Wembley ended in a seventh-round TKO victory over Povetkin, and I believe history will repeat itself. The first three rounds will be cautious, but once AJ lands his first huge punch, his confidence will soar.
Tom Blow: Anthony Joshua, not Tyson Fury, was supposed to be Britain’s great hope in heavyweight boxing. Olympic glory on home soil, 22 consecutive professional wins and a brutal knockout of Wladimir Klitschko had made him a superstar. For a time, it seemed AJ would remain undefeated and destroy everything in his path. But that was never to be.
The winner will want to face Fury and/or Usyk
Think of all the great heavyweights—Muhammad Ali, Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson—all lost huge fights. Joshua was always going to stumble at some point, and that moment is gone. Four more wins, including a disparaging win over Francis Ngannou, have put AJ back on track. Daniel Dubois is a great fighter and a worthy champion, but now it seems Joshua is storming back to the top of boxing.
It’s far from certain, but the 34-year-old should beat Dubois in the final stages of the fight. It would also be a fitting victory, as the IBF belt was Joshua’s first, won in 2016 after an basic win over Charles Martin.
He beats Dubois and has a chance to unify the division against either Oleksandr Usyk or Tyson Fury. It will also be a chance for AJ to either avenge his two losses to Usyk or finally settle the debate about the best British fighter. Joshua’s fighting legacy is still in his hands. It’s time for him to realize that.
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UK Boxing
A boxer even older than Mike Tyson calls out to Jake Paul and threatens to knock him out
Published
16 hours agoon
January 9, 2025Oliver McCall, who was 59, was defended for his decision to continue fighting, which contrasted with the criticism Mike Tyson faced during his November fight with Jake Paul because of his age.
On November 15, Tyson, 58, went head-to-head with “Problem Child” at ATandT Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
He outperformed his eight-round unanimous decision by appearing slower and less agile than his younger counterpart during the match. Considering Tyson’s age and his absence from professional boxing since 2005, fans were not shocked by Paul’s victory over the former WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight champion.
Paul, a YouTuber-turned-boxer who is 31 years Tyson’s junior, looked noticeably fresh during the fight, improving his professional record to 11-1 with the victory. However, McCall did not face the same criticism as Tyson when he entered the ring four days later at the Texas Troubadour Theater under the Country Box banner, a year Tyson’s senior, to face 54-year-old Stacy Frazier.
McCall improved his record to 60-14-2 (no contest) via second-round TKO after knocking his opponent down twice in the fight, ending the fight with a crushing right hand 25 seconds into the fight. Concerned for the well-being of older boxers, Kevin Walters of the Tennessee Athletic Commission recently commented on how fighters are cleared to fight.
He said News from the world of boxing: “By law, every veteran over the age of 35 undergoes additional neurological examinations before obtaining their first or renewed license. All applications are processed in accordance with Tennessee laws and regulations.”
Despite debates about safety, McCall seems far from retired, and he eagerly challenges Paul after his victory in the ring: “I’ll lose about 10 more pounds and I’m ready for anyone. Oh, I’m going to knock out Jake Paul.
“I want to get revenge for Nate Robinson and then Mike Tyson for what he did to Mike Tyson. “That would be awesome” – incorrectly calling out Logan Paul to fight as NBA character slayer Robinson, when the real antagonist was actually Jake.
Oliver McCall, a boxing veteran who famously defeated Lennox Lewis for the WBC heavyweight title in September 1994, is preparing for another fight despite his advanced age. With a professional debut in November 1985 and a 24-5 record before a stunning TKO victory over Lewis, McCall demonstrated remarkable longevity in the sport.
He successfully defended the title once, but lost it to Frank Bruno almost a year later. Now, at an age when many boxers have long since hung up their gloves, McCall is preparing to step into the ring against Gary Cobia on Jan. 21 in Nashville.
However, there is a twist in the story when a fight hangs in the balance; Walters revealed that Cobia has not yet applied to the Commission for a license. He explained: ‘Commission staff consider all applications for licenses and permits. Veterans who are thirty-five years of age or older undergo additional neurological examinations to obtain or renew their licenses. If the person is eligible for a permit, the Commission may approve the application.
“Gary Cobia has not yet applied for a license. If he applies for a license, Commission staff will review relevant information, documents and any suspension status.”
UK Boxing
Eddie Hearn claims Joshua is hurting over the loss of Dubois
Published
20 hours agoon
January 9, 2025Eddie Hearn claims Anthony Joshua has suffered the psychological impact of his brutal defeat to Daniel Dubois.
Hearn saw his man Joshua get crushed by Dubois five rounds in Septemberwhose bid to win the IBF world heavyweight title collapsed in front of a record crowd of 96,000 fans at Wembley Stadium.
The head of Matchroom says the two-time world heavyweight champion cannot accept defeat.
“I saw the pain he felt after losing to Dubois,” Hearn said Chris Mannix.
“And he suffered it because he wanted it so bad.
“He is striving to achieve this great performance.
“He puts in all the work to make sure he performs well tonight, but he didn’t perform, and worse still, he didn’t perform well.
“He’s at rock bottom.
In my opinion, he didn’t take the defeat well and that’s a sign of someone who cares, and that’s a sign of someone who wants it, and he wants it bad, he still does.
Joshua, 35, is on holiday in Nigeria and told the media that he finally wants to face fierce rival Tyson Fury this year.
In December, 36-year-old Fury suffered a second straight defeat to Oleksandr Usyk, and Hearn maintains that “AJ” is only looking for fights with Fury or Dubois.
“This is the biggest commercial fight in boxing,” he added.
“It’s just a massive fight and for AJ, when you look at his resume, there’s only one thing missing: I know the fight with Wilder that we signed a contract for and he got beat, but it’s just Tyson Fury.
“Actually, AJ only has two things to do, one is to try to get a rematch with Dubois, who obviously has a tough fight against Joseph Parker, and the other is to fight Tyson Fury.
“As long as Tyson Fury wants to continue fighting and is motivated to fight, I just believe it will happen because I don’t see any other option for Fury.”
UK Boxing
Eddie Hearn’s ‘immediate’ message to Tyson Fury that Anthony Joshua hopes he will accept
Published
2 days agoon
January 8, 2025Eddie Hearn says the road is clear for the long-awaited dream match between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury – provided the Gypsy King wants it. Both British boxing legends have suffered painful title defeats. Joshua was knocked out by Daniel Dubious at Wembley and Fury lost his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia last month.
These defeats have naturally dampened some fans’ enthusiasm for a Joshua-Fury fight, although it would still be an appetizing and lucrative prospect even without the belts on the line. Joshua has made it clear he wants this fight, while Fury considers his future after his second defeat to Usyk.
If the 36-year-old Gypsy King decides to extend his career, Joshua’s promoter Hearn insists the fight could happen “immediately”. Matchroom boss said A place of stomping on YouTube: “This is the fight everyone wants. Tell me about the bigger fight? There is not one.
“I don’t know if it will happen. There were no discussions. Fury is recovering from this defeat and will decide what he wants to do after the break. If he wants to fight AJ, the fight happens immediately. We’ll see.”
Hearn says it is too early to put pressure on Fury and his team. He said: “I don’t think this is the time to start poking Tyson Fury. Don’t forget he lost on December 21st, so give him a few weeks to relax.
“Sooner or later, in the coming weeks, we will want to develop a plan for Anthony Joshua. That’s when the conversation with Frank Warren will happen [Fury’s promoter]Spencer Brown [Fury’s manager] and His Excellency [Turki Alalshikh] and say, “We want to create AJ-Fury – what do you think?” We’ll go from there.”
Warren will also not put any pressure on Fury. He writes recently in his Daily Star columnthe Queensbury boss said: “I will not pick up the phone and ask Tyson Fury to fight again.
“If there is an opportunity for him, it will be passed on. But I won’t give you any advice on whether Tyson should take it. I haven’t talked to him yet about fighting Anthony Joshua and I will only do so if he comes to me and says he wants to get in the ring with him.
“My only hope is for Tyson to be cheerful and content with his life. If that happens, I will be more proud than you can imagine. If he decides to box again, I will support him 100%. This is a decision for me. him, his wife Paris and their family.”
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