Anthony Joshua is poised to reclaim his position at the pinnacle of boxing with a potential bout against Daniel Dubois, with the winner set to challenge the victor of Tyson Fury’s rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
The 34-year-old British heavyweight is set to fight Dubois in September at Wembley Stadium following Dubois’ impressive win over Filip Hrgovic. Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, confirmed that the winner of this all-British encounter will likely get a shot at the winner of the Fury-Usyk rematch.
Fury and Usyk are scheduled to square off again later this year in Saudi Arabia, with Fury seeking revenge for his previous defeat that saw Usyk unify the division. Despite the possibility of Fury equalizing the score against Usyk, Hearn indicated that a trilogy fight is unlikely, paving the way for Joshua to step in.
“I expect the winner of the December fight to face Anthony Joshua if he wins in September,” Hearn told The Sun. “There’s no decision yet made on the opponent, there’s three or four in the mix. But yeah, that’s the absolute plan. The first priority is to regain the world heavyweight title, and obviously, undisputed has always been the dream. So I think we’re two fights away from becoming undisputed. But we’ve got to win them.”
Joshua, who has never fought Fury and has suffered two defeats to Usyk, last competed in March, defeating Francis Ngannou. He has won his last four bouts since his back-to-back losses to the Ukrainian.
Daniel Dubois, following his significant win over Hrgovic, is Joshua’s likely next opponent. Dubois has faced criticism in the past, but his recent performances have established him as a formidable contender.
In a candid reflection on his career, Joshua acknowledged the challenges ahead. “I’ve got to pick them off one by one. It’s not going to be easy, but that’s my mentality. So come one, come all,” he said. “Dubois has been in tougher fights, so he becomes hardened. He has worked his way up the ladder, we’ll see what happens in the near future. Wembley, O2, York Hall – wherever they put me, I’m happy to fight. Any venue, I’ll turn up and do my job.”
Dubois, who has only two career losses, one of which was to Usyk, is equally confident. “That’s what I’ve been hearing [that Joshua could be next], so let’s see. [Being world champion] is a dream. From challenging for the world title to getting the chance to win the damn thing outright, that’s what I want. I’ll demolish Joshua. I’ll get even better from here,” Dubois stated.
As the boxing world anticipates these high-stakes matchups, Joshua’s journey back to the top is filled with significant hurdles. However, his determination and focus remain unwavering as he aims to secure his legacy and achieve greatness in the sport.
