It was supposed to be just another milestone in Anthony Joshua’s comeback journey. Since suffering a devastating knockout at the hands of journeyman Andy Ruiz in 2019, Joshua has been on a mission to reclaim lost glory.
Save for twin losses to the far superior Oleksandr Usyk, Joshua had made small, meaningful strides towards re-establishing himself as a top heavyweight boxer.
At a packed Wembley Stadium last month, Daniel Dubois stood between Joshua and the chance to become a three-time heavyweight world champion. Joshua, the more experienced and celebrated fighter, was expected to seal the deal.
Flipping the script
But from the very first round, the script went awry. A massive overhand right by Dubois dropped Joshua to the canvas — a shock blow that Joshua never recovered from. Joshua fell to the floor three more times, before the end came in the fifth round with a clean short right from Dubois.
Joshua, with his face on the mat, attempted to will his way to his feet, but failed to beat the count. It was a sad sight — a once formidable fan favourite reduced to a wobbly mess.
At 34, Joshua’s path to redemption is riddled with potholes. To rebuild, he must once again start from scratch by taking on lesser opponents. There are already loud calls for Joshua to hang up the gloves.
Like most professional sportspersons, Joshua has a big ego. This sense of pride, bordering on delusional self-belief, has prompted him to carry on. He dismissed all talk of retirement in a video he posted on Instagram after the loss. “We came up short, but we need to look at all the positives… What a roller-coaster journey. But you know what the problem is? Is that it’s far from over yet,” Joshua stated.
“We’ve done it once, we’ve done it twice. Doing it a third time hasn’t been easy, but I believe it’s something I can achieve. It’s about making the right steps forward, working hard.. It’s got to come from [the heart] more than anything… I know I’ve got a lot of this. I know I’ve got a lot of this,” Joshua said, while pounding his chest in a show of bravery.
Kapow! Dubois rocked Joshua with explosive punches, living up to his ‘Dynamite’ moniker. | Photo credit: Getty Images
There is speculation that Joshua will push for a quick rematch. Common logic, however, suggests that he is nowhere near ready for this challenge.
While Joshua licks his wounds, Dubois finds himself on top of the world. The 27-year-old from London was up for it at Wembley, packed with 96,000 spectators. Dubois let loose with the big hits, catching Joshua by surprise. A power-puncher, ‘Dynamite’ Dubois knew that his best chance came from all-out attack.
Climbing to the top
Earlier this year, the soft-spoken Dubois earned an IBF title shot with a technical knockout against Filip Hrgovic. He then gained the IBF crown without any effort, as unified champion Usyk was forced to relinquish his belt because of a rematch contract with Tyson Fury.
In his first title defence, Dubois showed his class to silence the many Joshua fans in the crowd. “Are you not entertained?” he yelled in the ring after the fight.
“I’m a gladiator. I’m a warrior to the bitter end. I want to go to the top level of this game and reach my full potential. Behind the scenes, I’ve been working hard, with all my family and my team. They’ve all helped me… I’m not going to stop until I reach my full potential,” Dubois said after the famous victory.
Dubois’ future looks bright. He is likely to wait on the Usyk-Fury fight, where the WBA, WBO and WBC belts are on the line. Dubois could then take on the winner and get all belts unified.
Dubois gave a good account of himself in his fight against Usyk last year. In the fifth round, Dubois dropped Usyk, but the referee ruled that it was a low blow. Usyk recovered to gain a ninth-round stoppage. Many felt that Dubois was robbed, arguing that the low blow was in fact a legal punch.
The record book might show a loss, but Dubois walked away with the knowledge that he can stand toe to toe with the best in the business.
Proving himself: Dubois held his own against Oleksandr Usyk last year, showing that he can stand toe to toe with the best in the business. | Photo credit: Getty Images
The Usyk-Fury fight, however, is a couple of months away, which gives Dubois plenty of down time. To keep him occupied, there is a ready challenger in Joseph Parker. The Kiwi, who has defeated Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang in his last two fights to significantly raise his stature, relayed a message to Dubois through his manager.
“Joseph is ready to fight anyone, but if he was given the opportunity to fight Daniel Dubois, he’d grab it with both hands and he would back himself to win,” Parker’s promoter David Higgins told Sky Sports.
Dubois’ options
Dubois is also not opposed to a rematch with Joshua. Dubois insisted that he was not at his best in the first go, and vowed to do better. “I would love a rematch but either one really, whoever pays me more money,” Dubois told talkSPORT when asked if he would prefer a Joshua rematch or to take on the winner of Usyk-Fury.
All attention turns to the much anticipated Usyk-Fury rematch, which will be held in boxing’s new cash-rich home, Saudi Arabia. It was Usyk who came out on top in the first meeting, making the Ukrainian the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 2000.
Usyk — a rare breed of boxer who has made a smooth transition from cruiserweight to heavyweight — handed Fury his first defeat in a 16-year professional career.
If Usyk is able to get a second win, it will cement his place as an all-time great.
Fury, trigger-shy and a tad lazy in his earlier loss, will look for revenge. The ‘Gypsy King’, who was ringside for the Dubois-Joshua fight, made his immediate plans clear. “I’m going to fight Usyk and take all of the belts back once again — I guarantee that. After I beat Usyk, I’ll fight Dubois. That’s my plan,” Fury told reporters.
Regardless of the outcome of the Usyk-Fury clash, fans will hope to finally see a proposed super-fight between Fury and Joshua. Dubbed the ‘Battle of Britain’, this is a long-awaited bout between two of the biggest stars from the nation.
With Dubois adding his name to a heavyweight division packed with quality contenders, there are interesting times ahead.
Published - October 05, 2024 12:22 am IST
