IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois and challenger Anthony Joshua made the Grand Arrivals in the present day for his or her headliner conflict this Saturday night time, reside on DAZN PPV. Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs) and Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) will combat at Wembley Stadium in London in entrance of 96,000 followers.
(Credit score: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)
AJ is the favourite within the combat, however which means nothing becaue he’s older and preventing a man that’s firing on all cylinders in Dubois. No matter optimistic issues Joshua did within the distant previous imply zero for this combat as a result of he’s preventing a youthful man with a younger Mike Tyson aura about him.
Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, questions whether or not the 27-year-old Dubois shall be intimidated by the second, provided that he’s by no means been on the large stage like this.
Hearn hopes that Dubois shall be unnerved by the gang as a result of it could be unhealthy for him if he beats Joshua. That may be the second Matchroom fighter that Dubois has crushed in a row.
Final June, Dubois stopped Hearn’s fighter, Filip Hrgovic, within the eighth spherical in Riyadh in an upset. There may very well be some bitterness there for Hearn as a result of he’d been hoping that Hrgovic could be the one which Joshua challenged for the IBF title.
That may have left him with solely his palms on the promotion controls as a substitute of sharing it with Frank Warren’s Queensberry.
Grand Arrival Quotes:
Daniel Dubois: “I Can’t look ahead to it. It’s my time. I can’t wait. You guys are going to see that that is my time. I’m the person. I must go on the market and legitimize it. I’m the champ.”
Anthony Joshua: “I haven’t at all times been on the crimson carpet. I at all times perceive now I’m on the crimson carpet, deal with folks. I’m by no means going to show my nostril up at folks. That’s simply not my fashion.”
Eddie Hearn: “Most individuals consider AJ is the favourite within the combat, however Daniel is a really reside underdog. He’s harmful, he punches very onerous. It will likely be attention-grabbing to see how he can cope with the event.”
This can be a very harmful combat for Joshua. Hearn hasn’t stated what his plan is that if he loses to Dubois on Saturday, however will probably be attention-grabbing to see what course he takes if he will get crushed. Up to now, Hearn had no issues making speedy rematches with Andy Ruiz Jr. and Oleksandr Usyk after Joshua misplaced to each guys.
Hearn may not take the identical strategy, provided that His Excellency Turki Alalshikh says it doesn’t matter if AJ loses. He nonetheless would wish to match him towards Tyson Fury subsequent.
