Daniel Dubois vs Anthony Joshua rematch - Queensberry vs Matchroom 5v5 targeted for February 22

Warren 5-0

 

Anthony Joshua is a composed and ferocious finisher. Watch him finish his career right now.

 

Come on, give AJ a break. As the man himself said

"I’m not a 12-round fighter. I am a new breed of heavyweight, Mike Tyson, Sonny Liston – they say ‘he doesn’t throw combinations like Rocky Marciano,’ because Usyk was slapping me like a ginger stepchild and I couldn't, I am bleeding internally. It is hard work."

 

I have to make Dubois the favourite for the rematch and I do want Dubois to win tbh. Although, I'm not sure whether Dubois will be as aggressive as he was last time as I feel AJ will be a lot more prepared for that, and I think that could play into AJ's hands if it turns into a boxing match. It could end up being like the Joyce and Usyk fight where Dubois is almost lost for words from the get-go.

However, if Dubois still has the stamina and power after a few rounds of tactical action, I do expect him to knock AJ out in the mid to the late rounds with the confidence he has from his recent form, in a great fight.

 

Dubois mid or late KO. AJ will probably try to box more defensively and may look better than the last time but this ain't Ruiz. Dubois have a better jab than AJ and he will piece him up before he knocks him out.

 

Joshua has a puncher's chance - and that means something at heavyweight. You can't write him off completely. But it's a very slim chance.

I noticed some people are still deluded enough to believe "Joshua has better boxing skills" "Joshua can go more cautious and outbox him in rematch".

NO. Dubois is better boxer. Dubois is better fighter. Dubois has better chin. Dubois is better puncher.

 

It's a disappointing main event really.
Saudis could make much more interesting heavyweight fights.

"Joshua's still a huge draw" people will say. Yes, that's great. Put him in with Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, Andy Ruiz then. Make it a main event if he's such a big draw. But he's a pointless opponent for Dubois right now. Put Dubois in with Zhang or Parker or Kabayel or Bakole. Real fights.

 

I just hope someone gives Daniel Dubois EVERY little "diva" demand that Joshua has taken previously. Not only should Dubois come into the ring second, Joshua should be rolling a red carpet out in front of him as Daniel strolls down the aisle.

 

In all honesty after the one sided whooping last time, I'd say a 5-vs-5 of Top Rank and Matchroom would be more entertaining for me at least. Can the Vegas showing next spring be that?

122 Naoya Inoue vs MJ
130 Conceicao/Foster/Navarette vs Cordina/Wood/Ford
140 Teofimo (he would definitely take back the lawsuit if Saudi money) vs Paro, if not Josh Taylor vs Jack Catterall 3
147 Norman Jr vs Boots Ennis (again, Saudi money should make Norman willing to accept)
175 Beterbiev vs Bivol 2 (if doing an immediate rematch)

At the least won't be 5-0 for one side.

 

Gotta give AJ some credit for rematching Dubois straight-up. The guy's got some balls, that's for sure. I think he gets planked again but I don't question his courage.

Two more fights for AJ I reckon before calling it a career. Dubois rematch, then finish things off with a fight against Tyson Fury. His legacy is dragging British boxing up from second or third tier status to the top tier where it remains. That's a pretty decent legacy that he can boast more so than any other. Never went lineal but was a very good unified alphabet champ not to mention Olympic Super Heavyweight champ.

 

Surprised the poll is only running at 92% for Dubois.

 

It's not true though.
The boom in British world champions was already happening before AJ became a world champion.
In fact, even at heavyweight, Tyson Fury dethroned Wladimir Klitschko, before AJ even beat Charles Martin at the O2.

Amir Khan, Carl Frampton, Carl Froch, James DeGale, Liam Smith, Billy Joe Saunders, Kell Brook ... all champions before AJ came along, right around the time AJ was starting out. Highly rated in their divisions, establishing themselves sometime before AJ mania arrived.
Just a few years before that we had Calzaghe, and Haye was in his prime.

The "British boxing boom", or at least the quantity of fighters considered world class across the divisions, was already there.
Joshua's popularity was a great addition to that, but he didn't "raise" the quality. If anything, he benefited just as much from the boom that was already there.

 

Joshua won't win because he simply can't handle big punchers anymore, it's easy to beat Franklin and Wallin two pillow fists and Ngannou who doesn't know how to box...