On September 21, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois are set to headline a massive event at Wembley Stadium, with Dubois defending his new IBF World Heavyweight Title. Both fighters have rebounded from their losses to Oleksandr Usyk with impressive victories: Joshua claimed stoppage wins against Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin, and Francis Ngannou, while Dubois defeated Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic.

The IBF belt became vacant when Oleksandr Usyk chose to honor his rematch clause with Tyson Fury, leaving Dubois, the interim champion, to be elevated and now set to give Joshua a chance to become a three-time heavyweight champion.

In a recent interview with TalkSPORT, Duke McKenzie MBE, a former three-weight world champion, expressed his belief that Dubois could pull off a stunning knockout against Joshua. He emphasized that Dubois’s recent performances suggest he is ready for the challenge, particularly due to his natural athleticism and aggression in the ring.

“I don’t know if he’s the people’s favorite, and I don’t know if he’s the bookies’ favorite, and I don’t gamble. But if I did right now and had to pick one person to win this particular fight, I’m slightly leaning towards Dubois. Simply because … when you look at the last several fights that they’ve had, AJ’s had the softer ride in. Dubois has the more natural athleticism about him. He’s more loose than AJ. He would’ve done his research on AJ and knows how to beat him,” McKenzie explained.

McKenzie pointed out Dubois’s fearlessness, particularly in his recent bout against Filip Hrgovic. Despite Hrgovic’s reputation as a powerful puncher, Dubois stood his ground and showcased his resilience and determination to succeed. This attitude, McKenzie believes, makes Dubois a formidable opponent for Joshua.

“In his last fight, he proved so much to himself. Hrgovic is a big puncher, he’s a big strapping man. When he brought it to Dubois, Dubois didn’t back down. He just went ‘let’s go,’ and he meant it … He knows this fight with Joshua is going to be probably life and death. I can’t see it going the distance because they both hit so hard.”

The former champion also highlighted Dubois’s strong jab and quicker reflexes compared to Joshua, who has adopted a more cautious fighting style in recent years. McKenzie suggested that Joshua’s approach of waiting for the right moment could play into Dubois’s hands, especially if Dubois maintains an aggressive, fast-paced strategy.

“If this fight is a battle of the jabs, then Dubois wins hands down. In my opinion, he hits just as hard as AJ. He’s quicker than AJ. He throws combinations, you don’t see AJ doing that anymore. AJ did that in the early part of his career when he was on the ascendancy, but since stepping up in class he no longer does that. He’s gone strictly safety first. He only pulls the trigger when he’s in range … If he doesn’t land that [right hand], he has a little panic attack … Dubois right now is fearless.”

While Joshua will enter the ring as the favorite to reclaim the title from the 26-year-old Dubois, McKenzie’s comments have added an intriguing layer to the matchup. Fans are eager to see if Dubois’s fearlessness and aggression will indeed prevail against Joshua’s experience and tactical approach.