Anthony Joshua returns to the boxing ring next month to take on fellow Brit Daniel Dubois at Wembley. Many thought Joshua, known popularly as ‘AJ’, would call time on his career and hang up on the gloves after consecutive defeats to undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk. Still, a run of four wins as part of a comeback tour has led to one last shot at glory.
Indeed, Joshua recorded victories over Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius on home soil in Greenwich before heading to Saudi Arabia to stop Otto Wallin in the fifth inside the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.
Most recently, he bested former UFC Champion Francis Ngannou, delivering a second-round knockout to stake his claim as a world title contender again.
The odds of Joshua knocking Dubois out aren’t relatively as high this time, but the 34-year-old is the overwhelming favourite when the two step into the ring on September 21. Dubois is known for coming from behind in fights, and it will undoubtedly be an exciting matchup.
In this article, we assess everything you need to know about the heavyweight class between the two Brits as we prepare for a night of action in north London.
Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois: Where and when?
Joshua takes on Dubois for the IBF world heavyweight title at Wembley Stadium on September 21. The fight will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Box Office after Usyk announced in July that he had vacated the IBF belt.
The main event will start at around 10:30 pm UK time.
Why is AJ the favourite
Joshua has climbed back up the heavyweight ladder after pleasing results in the last two years. Usyk had Joshua a mental wreck in their second fight when he outclassed the 34-year-old in 2022. However, he has shown a lot of mental fortitude, so boxing bets have him as the favourite.
Dubois will likely serve as the next stepping stone in AJ’s path to fighting Tyson Fury. Eddie Hearn believes the ‘Gypsy King’ would be unable to stop Joshua when he is in this vein of form. Joshua backed up his promotion at the pre-fight press conference.
“It’s a fight that’s been brewing for a long time. I can’t wait until I’m 50 to fight Fury because I would have had so many wars. I’m not going to sit around and wait,” Joshua told BBC Sport.
“This is my 13th world title fight, probably my seventh or sixth world champion fighter I am fighting. I am ready. I would love to fight Fury, but I will not wait around much longer. I’ve been waiting around. I’ve been chasing it.
“I’ve signed to fight Fury, I’ve signed to fight Wilder before. Now I’m having to go down the path of fighting other good fighters. Let’s just get the fight on while we’re fresh. How many wars to I have to have before I get to Fury?”
What are Daniel Dubois’ chances?
Daniel Dubois arrives as the underdog but has always gone under the radar throughout his career. His biggest challenge will be overcoming the pressure of a big fight occasion, having struggled in Poland when he was beaten by Usyk last August.
Since then, ‘Dynamite’ has returned to his best, with two TKO victories over Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic in Saudi Arabia.
If he can remain composed and wait for the momentum for a big shot to arrive, the 26-year-old could cause an upset at Wembley.
Who else is fighting that night?
There is plenty of other action to watch across a night of action at Wembley. Here is the full card:
- Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois (for IBF heavyweight title)
- Anthony Cacace vs Josh Warrington (for IBF super-featherweight title)
- Joshua Buatsi vs Willy Hutchinson
- Tyler Denny vs Hamzah Sheeraz
- Josh Kelly vs Liam Smith
- Mark Chamberlain vs Josh Padley
