Anthony Joshua is seemingly open to preventing Daniel Dubois or Zhilei Zhang subsequent when he headlines in September at Wembley Stadium.
Daniel Dubois: The Apparent Selection?
IBF interim heavyweight champion Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs) is the plain alternative for Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) to battle in September as a result of there’s a superb probability his IBF title shall be elevated to the complete model by then. The conflict will entice a number of curiosity from British boxing followers as a result of each guys are from the UK.
Zhang can be a superb choice, given how he appeared in stopping Deontay Wilder within the fifth spherical final Saturday night time in Riyadh. Nevertheless, he lacks a world title.
Preventing Zhang can be extra about Joshua proving he might beat the man who destroyed Wilder, however that’s in all probability not sufficient for AJ as a result of he needs to win the IBF title. If he needs that belt, he’ll need to battle Dubois, a harmful match-up.
If Joshua fights Dubois, this might be his first true high-quality conflict placed on by the Saudis, as his final two matched had been arguably gimmes in opposition to boxing novice Francis Ngannou and Otto Wallin.
These weren’t A-level fighters. They had been extra like C-level, and boxing followers gassed up Joshua after beating these two.
Joshua’s Perspective
“I’ve bought to select them off one after the other. It’s not going to be straightforward, however that’s my mentality. So come one, come all. He [Dubois] has labored his means up the ladder; we’ll see what occurs within the close to future,” stated Anthony Joshua about presumably preventing Daniel Dubois or Zhilei Zhang subsequent.
Dubois is Joshua’s solely logical alternative if he needs to battle for a world title. Even when the IBF chooses to not elevate it to the complete belt, at the very least AJ will get an opportunity to win a secondary belt that he can use to spice up his credibility when he fights the winner of the rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.
“During the last six months, Dubois has turned the nook. He’s reinvented himself,” stated Chris Mannix on his YouTube channel. “Digging deep to defeat Jarrell Miller again in December was spectacular. Digging deep to defeat Filip Hrgovic was much more spectacular.
The IBF Title Issue
“Now, we’re speaking about Daniel Dubois as soon as once more as a contender within the heavyweight division. He’s bought the interim model of the IBF title. My intel on that is that someday over the following few weeks, you’re going to see the IBF improve Dubois to the complete champion.”
The one cause Joshua shouldn’t battle Dubois is that he’s younger, highly effective, and on a surge proper now, wanting unbeatable. If Joshua is targeted on getting that massive payday battle in opposition to Fury or Usyk, he ought to play it protected and keep away from Dubois becaue this man might beat him.
What followers won’t notice is Joshua turns 35 in October, only one month after his battle in September, and that’s historical for a fighter, particularly one who’s going up in opposition to a 26-year-old.
“I don’t assume the IBF needs to strip Oleksandr Usyk immediately, however the actuality is, that necessary battle was lengthy overdue,” stated Mannix. “I feel they’re going to raise Dubois, and in the event that they don’t, the complete title goes to be on the road in September when Anthony Joshua takes on Dubois.
It doesn’t matter if the IBF strips Usyk as a result of Joshua or Dubois may have that belt, and he’ll get an opportunity to recapture it once more if he will get via Fury of their rematch on December twenty first.
“That appears to be the battle that’s going to occur. Each of those guys are British. The Saudis wish to do an enormous present within the UK at Wembley Stadium. It makes excellent sense. The IBF title on the road. Dubois-AJ, massive battle. I feel it’s a no brainer for September,” stated Mannix.
